A Shang Story
by bookworm264816
Summary: It's about a yamani girl and how she is given a mark because of her god heritage. how she, her brother, and a few others go off to the dragon planes, tortal, and have a few interesting events along the way.
1. Chapter 1

"Yeeeaaah," a little girl screamed as two pairs of arms swung her back and forth. Her feet touch and the dirt floor beneath her and as she was lowered, grinding her to a halt. The little child look up at her mom and dad, "Do it again! Do it again!"

The forty year old something man chuckled as his four year old daughter clung to his leg. He ran a hand threw his thining pepper hair as he shook his head, "No, honey. It's getting late. See the sun going down? We need to be getting back to your little brother."

Indeed, the sunset was beautiful as it set beyond the Yamani hills, but the small child wasn't paying attention to that but to her Bazhir mother on her other side, looking up to her expectantly as the setting sun's rays hit her so that her honey brown hair glowed as bright as the stars that were just coming out. "I'm sorry, hun, but we really do need to be heading back. The guards might lock us out again like last time elsewise, Remember?"

The tiny girl blushed at the small memory; she was at the zoo with her parents and didn't want to leave but wanted to stare at the monkeys. Her parents had given in, thinking they could make it back in time for curfew but they were wrong. Instead of sleeping on their plush mattress and swan pillows, they slept in an inn on the west side of town on uncomfortable beds and goose feathers.

Though the small child had been immensely pleased at the monkeys and sleepover, she now realized that her mommy and daddy were not so happy about the prospect of another night at the unrespectable in and missing their two year old son whom the maid had to take care of while they were gone. So instead of insisting, the lilttle girl hung her head, slipping her hands between her parents own warm ones.

The parents looked at each other over their daughter's head, hating to see her so down. The girl had been staring at her feet and was amazed to realize that they weren't touching the ground any more, but the air. She looked up at her adoring parents and screamed in delight, as she was swung back and forth, her feet trailing along the ground as she was lifted higher and higher. She must have gone twenty feet in the air.... I mean hey, she's only four. as the family walked along the path among the exotic trees, back to their home in the palace, they passed the Emporer's personal training center.

As they passed by said room, the little child pulled on the two hands swinging her along and stuck her head inside, her eyes swiveling crazily in her head, watching the men and women fight; some with their bare hands and feet, others with sakabatos or glaives.

She sucked a breath her nose, breathing in the sent of sweat and blood and the energy these men and woman poured out, but the stench didn't bother her one track mind a bit. Instead she just watched as the metal of one of the swords flung threw the air, disgaurding its oppent's weapong and planting itself at its enemy's exposed neck.

Her eyes widened in excitement at the flash of hands and feet attacking the challenger infront and having the moves returned in perfect percision.

She averted her eyes from the masterful scene to her still grasped hands as she was dragged away from the nose pressed window. "Daddy," she started, "who were those men?" The parents glanced at each other, wondering if it was wise to tell their obviously infatuated, head strong daughter.

"Well hun, " her father started out, "those are the Yamani Knights, the men who fight with glaives and are the ones who belong and protect the Emporer, his kingdom, and our land.

"The others," her mother continued, "the ones who fight with bare fists, and weapons if needed, are the Shang Warriors. They wander around the world, training, perfecting, and finishing their ordeals which they were passed on before in their original home lands."

The little shild's head turned back to face the shrinking building, speaking slowly and clearly, odd for a child her age, "I want to be just like them."

"Who hun? The Yamani or the Shang?"

She then shifted her eyes back to the road ahead, as if staring into her future. The only hint of any emotion on her rock still face, the stone hard glint of determination in her eyes as she replied,

"Both."


	2. Chapter 2

We come upon a scene, a figure running through the desert of the Yamani Islands, dust clouds flying out behind her and her steed, the air whipping along the hair pulled back in a horse tail.

The head of the figure turns back and you see the eyes of the small child before, now grown into a young woman. Her eyes, the color of storm clouds about to attack on an unsuspecting ship, flashed and hardened at the horseback figures coming up behind her.

There are five in all, two of the bandits ahead, coming ever closer and closer to their target. Her now emotionless gray eyes narrow.

She turned her head back to face the land of sand before her, suprised to see a river running through her path, blocking any chance of escape. Her horse rears back as she yanks on the reigns, reversing its direction and charging at her now opponents. The two closest to her blanche in surprise as the woman nears them, her sword chopping them down to size, their heads lolling along the ground in their pools of blood as she leaves them in her destructive wake.

Her next target though is prepared, he swipes his spear at her horse, knocking her down and killing her horse, though allowing her to duck below his attack. She shrugs out of the carcass, her now lightning flashing eyes trained on the target before her as the enemy's brothers come a ways behind.

The girl ducked as the man swung once again, in the same motion bring out the glaive from the harness on her back. She twists around and faces his next attack with cold indifference. ZIIING!!! The sharp metal cut through the base of his spear, slicing his chest open as an axe chops through a block of wood.

The man fell off his horse, clutching his bleeding chest in a death grip. His eyes clouding over as the Death God seized his soul, his hand still griping his chest as if trying to grab on to whats left of his soul, his blood pouring over his already bloody crusted hand as his bones crunched sickening as the horse, terrified of the creature swinging the torture device before its swiveling crazy eyes.

It pawed in the air, shaking of its impresiment and running free across the river, crying one last cry as the river swept its latest victim across lits waters, down to the unknown. But the woman faced her back to this terrifying scene, her eyes filling with nothing only focusing on her lastest target.

The man before her screamed with fury as he his weapon before her. She woman ducked and let him pass, lifting up her glaive and cutting off his attacking arm, as well as breaking the steed's leg as she kicked out with her leg.

The man stumbled out of his heep, the animal dead, pierced through the neck where the owner's sword had stabbed it as they had fallen. He noticed his hand and screamed with all his might, letting out his rage at his comrades, mixing with his own pain.

He then grabbed the ax from his side in his good hand and cried his last war cry. He charged her and swung above her head as she moved to the side, swinging her glaive as she did so, his hand still poised in the air as his torso slipped from his wait, his intestines and organs spillilng to the sand floor, marking its region with its blood stain, the organs swallowed by the sand billowing in the air, sinking into the depths of the deserts heart.

The last man before her laughed at the woman standing there in front of him, her hair billowing in the wind, her white clothes spattered in blood, her emotionless eyes filled with unknown thoughts staring coldly at him, as if into his soul.

Her hand gripping her choice of weapon in her hand, her eyes being blocked and unblocked as strands of hair swung across her thunder eyes. As the cheif bandit road by, to far for her glaive to reach but not to far for his spear, he knocked the weapon out of her hand as he turned at the waters point, charging again as the weapon glinted in the sun as the rays bounced on it, hitting all sides and making the desert floor glitter like a field of uncut diamonds.

The woman faced him now, with no defence to gaurd her from his on coming attack; but as he swung she ducked but before his blade could even pass her, she struck out with her heel and the horse's neck, breaking it instantly and letting it fall to the floor, taking its master with it. The man cursed as he got up, realizing his spear was lost in the endless waves of sand before him.

He swore in his unfamiliar langues, mentally leaving a note for the female to make a study of his language. He then picked up his sabato and charged, his weapon straight in front of himself.

The woman swung to her left, as if her parents had swung her in their arms years before, her feet digging in the blazing sand. She ignored the burns singeing through her well worn, leather-like skin, as she gripped the handle of the blade as it passed her, stepping close to the enemy's chest, positioning her foot behind his back the poor man even had a chance to blink, she had already thrown him over her hip, leaning her knee onto his shoulder till he released the blade, then stabbing it through and through his neck, never even uttering a sound.

The woman slowly raised her eyes to the heat blinded sky as her vision clouded before her, the sun finally breaking past her, what seemed to be, invincible skin, taking away all thoughts as she dropped to the ground with a thud, as new men on horse back, five to be exact bame up besides her.

They picked up her lone body, the rest being eaten by the desert winds, leading her back to civilization and back to the Shang fighting ground to finish her final ordeal.


	3. Chapter 3

She faces the Shang Wild Cat standing infront of the Chamber of Ordeal's door. She is on her hands and knees face down after her night of vigil, the Wild Cat is speaking words to the others; this is her final test.

The test for Shang Warriors and Yamani Knight.

The Wild Cat stops speaking. The woman's face looks up at her final words, "...Stand now, Ziva. The ordeal awaits."

She grasps the hand before her, pulling herself upright. She steps forward, mindful of the carvings in the stone, telling stories of those who have died in this chamber, those who have been found with too much evil in their hearts, those who have dropped down and never risen, but also telling of those who have went through its doors and come back again, those who have been found with the right amount of courage and chivalry and bravery to continue on, those who have lived on and changed the world.

She shook her head, clearing her head of all unwanted thoughts and walked in, head held high, eyes holding nothing, her face relvealing the same amount she had held with the bandits before.

As soon as she had wandered about five steps in, the door closed shut behind her with a thud, locking so that no one could go in and she couldn't go out, not till the Chamber allowed her to do so.

A cold dragt shifted through the room, chilling her to the bone. But still her cold mask stayed in place, not a flicker of emotion passing through that impenetrable shield. She just stood there, unsure of what to do, just shifting through all her 'fears,' trying ot figure out what ball the Chamber of Ordeals might throw at her first. And then it hit her.

Water, water flowing all around her, waves crushing down upon her head, her clothes dragging her down under and into the sea's dark depths. Her eyes swivelled wildly in her sockets, air escaping form her puckered mouth in the form of those watery bubbles.

As she sinks farther and farther along the pressure builds and builds till it feels like its going to crush her bones into a pile of shattered marrow. She opens her mouth to scream, but remembers the one rule, you are never to make any noise inside the Chamber of Ordeals else you offer your life as amends. But all too fast she realizes her mistake as water comes from all around, rushing to fill her mouth to the brim with its salty vengence.

She scrapes and claws at the water, flailing her arms about, trying to push her way back to the surface.

But as she reaches the top of the waves, as she takes a deep refreshing breath of the salt streaked, tangy air, she turns around, trying to face land, but instead turning face to wave, a monster of a wave, standing at least a shocking to the bone forty feet in the air, the largest scene in decades.

She gulps her last breaths and it pours down upon her head in tricklets, preparing herself for the onslaught downwards, staring stonely ahead, listening for the worst.

It never came.

She lifts her head, noting the odd shaped trees around her, their leaves like slips of forest green stained parchment or scrolls all pieces together along a strip of green vegetation. She looks around. She found herself surrounded in a sea. Though not in a sea of water, but of sand. The sand was burning her stomach, leaving a trail of blisters along her exposed arms and legs. And then she realizes it. She's back in Tortal, back behind the inn, back to where her mom and dad had just been killed.


	4. Chapter 4

The floor is splattered in blood, seeping into the crevices, marking the territory for life. Her body racked in shivers as a cold draft shifted through the room, chilling all to the bone.

And suddenly, there he stood; her parents killer.

She growled, twisting her back leg into a fighting stance, arms poised and at the ready. The man before her grinned, "Now now sweety, I just wanted to have a little fun. Is that any way to treat your old uncle?"

And that's when it hit her. This bastard was her father's own brother, the brother who he had cared for his whole life, dedicated his very being too, besides his wife and kids and all, and he killed him. Just like that, without remorse.

A growl started low in through, eyes narrowing, pupils turning into slits. Her uncle chuckled, "Guess not then."

She heard a movement behind her and turned, raising her hand far just quick enough to block the attack coming for her face. They both skidded back by the impact.

Uncle smirked, "Looks like you've gotten stronger, little one." But she remained silence, cursing his nick name for her, eyes still trained on her prey.

They both then ran towards each other, hating to stall any longer. But he whipped out a knife in mid flight, and slashed at her chest. Her bound came undone as she stood with her barely holding together shirt, turning her back on him, steaming with rage as he polished his dirk behind her. "Oh honey, don't get mad. You know I never play fair."

His grin turned ugly as he got no recognition, no reply, almost as if she was ignoring him. But no, she couldn't do that, he thought to himself, she couldn't ignore her own parents murderer. Another moment passed without a word.

He snarled at her back, tired of this little game, and yelled out as he charged, "Die, you cold stone hearted bitch!"

Guck!

His movements stopped suddenly, as if his very breath was forced. He looked down to see why, his hands grasping something emerging from his chest.

And there it stood, the sword of legends, Ice Blue, and its twin, Scarlet Flames, its hilt resting on the tip of her hip, the other end sticking out of his blood bathed chest.

He turned his draining eyes towards her own, looking straight into those depthless eyes, those stone cold eyes, as she replied, "I'm not the one who killed my own brother."

And with that, she tilted her sword, watching his still body slip from its grasp and fall to the floor, eyes uncaring as she turned away.

The servants who had heard the commotion hurriedly backed out of her way, whispers spreading like fire behind her about the one, the woman with soulless eyes, the one with no soul.

All eyes shifted to the thousands year old door as it creaked open. A foot stumbled out, a hand clasped the handle, twin eyes peaked out from a wall of bangs, flashing with memories of the trials she had just been through, of the Chamber's last words, "Many a trials await you, young one. Don't go and die on us yet, Wolf. You still have many left to face."

Her eyes clouded over as she spotted the person among the crowd whom she was looking for, the one who had caught her before her head could even come near to touching the cold unforgiving floor.

Her brother's eyes looked at her worriedly as a voice called out above him, "She is alive, but barely! Hurry! Some one come and get a stretcher for the Shang Wolf."

Just as she had heard those last words, staring at her brothers locks of rusty blood red hair, she went dead to the world, all being enveloped in black as one more thought drifted across her mind, 'So.... what's next?'


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up to a throbbing pain in my shoulder. I groaned, 'Why did I feel as if someone just pounded on me with a fifty ton hammer?.... oh right, the Chamber.'

I cursed as I rolled my head back, my shoulder screaming in pain. "What the hell?"

I turned to look over at my shoulder, cause I know I didn't do anything to that bit, unlike my medically wrapped chest where my now deceased Uncle had slashed at.

But when I did look, I wish I hadn't because there it stood, in all its glory, a silver wolf, blue tinted, like winter.

My mouth dropped open, I swear I could feel the floor what how low it dropped.

"You might want to close your mouth, you're gonna catch flies other wise."

I turned my head as best as I could, what with a hundred pound wild wolf on my arm, and a huge grin split across my face, "James!"

My oh so dear brother came forward, arms wide, a matching grin splayed on his face. But he was stopped in mid movement as a growl came low from the creature below him. He looked down and back up her.

Apparently, my wolf there had jumped down from his oh so comfortable position on my now asleep arm, thanks to his heavy self, and placed himself between his charge and the man before her.

"Oh hush up, Wolfie. He's my brother. Let him pass for Mithros' sake."

Wolfie, as he was now dubbed, scooted backwards, eyes still wary as the man approached his master.

"What's that?" James asked inquisitively, "I've never heard about Shang's getting their own matching pets." But he threw his hands up quickly as the once calm wolf now stalked up from his position, teeth bared, a snarl ripping from his throat.

I laughed, my throat still raw from my ordeal. "Good boy, Wolfie. Standing up for yourself, huh?"

I chuckled again, but stopped, "We've gotta get you a better name then that. That one just doesn't suit you to good. How about Charles?"

James laughed out loud at the look on Wolfie's face, "I don't think he likes that one." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "How about.... Lupus?" His laughed rang throughout the room as he stared at both my face and my new companion's.

"That sounds..... perfect, I think," I agreed. Both me and Lupus grinned at each other toothily. But my face changed its look, a sudden thought flitting across her mind.

I looked down at the majestic animal besides me, "Why are you even here, Lupy?"

The wolf looked down, staring at his paws, like a three year old being scolded for something bad. Suddenly, just out of no where, it felt like a lightning bolt hit my shoulder, the one her wolf had been resting on, white flashing across my clenched eyes, pain ripping at my shoulder. "AARGH!" A howl tore threw the air, both the wolf and my brother stared at my body in horror as I squeezed my right shoulder, thrashing about in pain and agony. "Raaaaaaaaaargh!" another scream tore past my sealed lips, echoing the halls of the hospital.

I vaguely heard the stomping of hurried feet, of healers yelling stats back and forth, only seeing that white, pure snow white, like winter, almost as if it was snowing inside the building.

A flash tore across the room where my body and previously laid and BAM! I was gone. All the doctors and such around my now empty bed just stared, the woman and wolf that had previously stood/layed before them was gone, even her brother just stood there gaping.

A door crashed open, scaring the heebe jeebies out of all the people in the room, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

And there she stood, in all her glory; the infamous Shang Wild Cat, fuming as she stood next to the now broken door. You could literally see the steam coming out of her ears.

A doctor ran up to her, dressed in all his white coated glory, explaining the situation as best as he could as everyone else ran around or back to their stations as more superior officers came in and shooed everyone out. Everyone but James leaving, still standing besides the bed, waiting for his sister to come back.

Two figures floated above them, watching this all unfold; one a platypus looking thing, flapping his tail in wonder at the human specie, the other a gorgeous, sleek, raven black siamese cat watched beside it, shaking her head at the mortals' folly.

Far above them, in its own special place stood a kingdom, the kingdom of the gods. But most importantly about this place, at least to you and I, stood a building, proud and tall, the sun's light glinting off of it, making it look more mysterious then ever, more calm and serene.

Inside, however, was a complete and total different matter.


	6. Chapter 6

Ziva just stood there in shocked silence, Lupus standing besides her in a bewildered expression. Where the hell were they?

They stood in front of what look to be a giant court room, them on the podium in front of the judge's chair, everything looking normal. Only one thing was off though; there were DOZENS of judge chairs all over. Some in different sizes, the main two sitting up front, standing side by side. And at the moment, they were all empty.

Ziva turned to look at the animal besides her, "You got any idea where we are?" The wolf just stood there, head bowed, shoulders back, tongue in, everything like a wolf marine. Suddenly, just out of the blue, a door opened to the far right of them. People just flooded on in. Ziva's eyes burned with the intensity of them, she could barely stand to look the figures.

Not cause their ugly of course, rather quite the opposite, except for a few obvious of course, but because their entire body, each person just glowed, basking in their own personal light!

It was like they each had the aura of a god radiating around them. Even Lupus whimpered besides her, eyes now faced down, looking away from the oh so bright scene.

When Ziva next looked up, they were all in line, all in order, two sitting at the very front, their brightness finally dimming some.

"Are you Ziva Davied? Are you she who has just passed her first ordeal?" The cold voice radiated from the room, Ziva resisted the urge to clamp her hands over her ears, anything to block out the terrible noise. Instead she just straightened her head, pulled back her shoulders and replied, "I am she. What's it to you, big guy?" The men, and women, before her bristled at the insult, but hey, they were pretty big.

The two people before her the largest of them all; the man stood at least a whomping eight feet, like a giant ogre dressed in armor, a helmet held at his side, a sword glistening in their own made sunlight, his eyes narrowed; the woman besides him stood dressed more simply, at her own not-to-bash-at seven foot six, she was dressed in a simple dark grey robe, a hood covering the upper part of her face, which now fell to reveal warm forest green eyes, as if peering into your very soul, the opposite of the man next to her who's own ice cold blue eyes were staring daggers at Ziva.

"You dare to insult The Great Mithros, god of the sun?!" Ziva looked down to her left, trying to find the insulter, and was totally creeped out at what she saw.

There stood over fifty animal people, all in their own special auras like the other human looking people before her. 'And apparently they can talk like them too,' Ziva quietly added to herself.

The chipmunk before her stood before her, shaking his fuzzy little tail at her, shouting all accounts of profanity at her person. She tensed up and return the bristling chipmunk's gaze, glare for glare.

Then the cute little fuzzy animal started shaking his tiny little fist at her along with his already fat tail, "Just you wait, you puny human!" it shrieked, "You'd better watch your back. You never know who might be watching!" And with that it stomped off, dragging a squirrel and gopher along with it.

Ziva shook her head, 'What was that all about?' She returned her gaze back to the judge chair as a voice cleared itself. It was the woman this time. The, what now seemed to be, goddess, grinned slightly at both Ziva and her wolf's expression, "We have called you here, Ziva of Davied, to discuss your parents."

Daughter of said parents stiffened noticeably, ignoring the pull of the woman's voice, trying to force her to bow down to the figure before her. The wolf besides her pulling back his lip in a snarl, upset with whatever was upsetting its master.

One of the gods far to its left waved a hand over his head in the direction of the wolf, its mouth was then trapped by some invisible source. Ziva looked down at her wolf, confused at what was happening but once she had seen what had taken place she turned her eyes back to the goddess, eyes flaming in her wrath, grey eyes swirling like a storm about to strike some poor unsuspecting victim, "What did you do him?" The glowing figure shrugged, "You will have to ask Minerva about that, I do not interfere in her work. Now, you will listen to what we have to say."

"What's there to say?" Ziva returned forcefully, gaze flaring up with pent up fury and rage, "They're dead, so what do you want with them?"

She heard a small chuckle behind her, as she pivoted on her heel to face whatever was disturbing her rampage a voice played on behind her, "Oh Ziva, my daughter, they are not dead. They never were nor can they be."


	7. Chapter 7

**Just wanna say something.... yeah that's for the couple people who added me to my favs. Man! I was dancing around for the rest of the day! Needless to say my friends kept away after I accidentally hit a kid in the head when he thought I was high. *scowl* And another thanks to AmethystEyes0, my first reviewer ever! If ya'll got anything to say, good/bad, comments/complaints/tips, all are welcomes so just spill :) thanks again**

The girl just stared at the figure before, her mouth dropping open at the sight.

It was the man who she had heard at the Ordeal, the man who's 'voice' had haunted her these last couple days, "Hello there, Ziva of Davied, adopted daughter of Inuraki and Sarukai Davied, advisers of the Emperor of the Yamani Islands."

Ziva stepped back, falling to her knees on the stone cold ground, hands clamped over her ears as she tried to block out the burning voice in her head, Lupus whining was muffled besides her, eyes holding his master's sadness.

"W-what do y-y-you mean ad-d-dopted?" Ziva turned her eyes back to the man before her, oblivious to the watchful gods behind her, to the thin trickle of blood trailing down her mouth and jaw, ears still ringing from the man's voice present in her mind.

"I mean," his voice rang on, Ziva's hands clawing at her ears, begging the voice to just leave her alone and just come out and speak like a normal god person thing, "that you are not their daughter, Davied. But rather, you are the offspring of someone else. Of Gabriel, god of the dream world, and of Luraine, goddess of the wolves, daughter of the moon."

Ziva's eyes slowly re focused as her mind prodded his mind words, looking for any hidden meaning. And then it hit her.

Her startled eyes turned to look up at the man before her, the tall man, about 6'11 in height, surrounded by a swirling black coat, dancing around him, controlled by its own little mini cyclone, a hood covering the top half of his face, now falling down to reveal warm sympathetic grey eyes as his mind spoke once again into hers, "Yes, Ziva. I am Gabriel and you, my dear, are my daughter."

Everyone looked on as a body fell to the black tiled ground, blood still running from the human's nose, her eyes gone blank with shock.

Lupus broke free of his restraints, snarling at the now visible chains that bound him, breaking them in stride as he ran over to his master's body, nudging her ever so slightly with his wet nose, whining for her to wake up, to do anything.

The crowd of gods behind him separated, making way for the wolf slowly coming down the aisle.

It was a sleek one, as white as snow, pure as a virgin's innocence yet as experienced and as knowledgeable of the world as a well scarred warrior.

She stood next to Lupus, letting her eyes wander to her once mate across from her as her mind spoke to the one beside her, "Don't worry, small one. Your friend will awaken soon. For now, rest. You do no good to her as weary as you are."

It was as if she had lifted some magic spell upon him, for as soon as she spoke those words, said wolf fell unconscious, his body falling next to his master's in an almost cliché position.

Gabriel's pupiless eyes turned to look at the beautiful yet cold wolf across for him, his eyes softening ever so slightly, none noticing as the other gods filed out of the room, "That was good of you, Lurenain. But I do not wish for your people to spy on my daughter."

Her own emotionless eyes turned to face his own, her deep sea blue eyes warming ever subtly as she replied, "The same for you, Gabriel. I do not wish for your own men to follow her in her dreams. Especially not in her own Ordeal. And you forget to remember yourself, Dream King. She is my daughter also." And with that, we fade out, to await till morning, to see what dawn will bring to the new day.


	8. Chapter 8

Beep... beep... beep, those were the sound Ziva woke up to as the world came fluttering back into her head.

She groaned and rubbed a hand on her throbbing temple, propping her self up, 'What the hell happened? And why do my ears feel like Stormwing just yelled bloody murder in my ear?' Ziva winced at the prospect, knowing from experience just how 'special' the specie's vocals can be.

She looked around herself as she thought this, trying to figure out where she might be. She was surrounded by white, white everywhere; white bed, white table, white sheets, white walls, even white daisies and roses standing on her white bedside table in a white vase. 'Oookaaay,' the sick patient thought to herself, 'this ain't like any hospital I've ever been in.'

"Ah, so the little pup awakes," a voice breathes into her ear. "Aaaaaah!" Now normally Ziva would be much more composed than this, but at the moment she had just woken up in some strange, unknown place with a killer of a head ache, so needless to say, she was not feeling like herself.

She literally jumped five feet in the air before twisting herself around, facing the unknown persona behind her. "What the hell you little-" Ziva's words were cut off as she stared at the figure before her.

She inclined her head some as she straightened herself, plucking off imaginary stray hairs from her black trousers, "My humblest apologies, Luraine-sama."

The wolf before her chuckled softly at the girl's antics, the hairs on the back of Ziva's neck protruding upwards at the oddly comforting sound. "Is that any way to treat someone bearing gifts?" She poked the basket sitting next to her as her proof while she continued, "But your apology is accepted, oh daughter of mine."

The girl head before her shifted sharply, turning to stare at the beast before her. "What?"

The wolf's face changed, her eyes softening, mouth quirking at the edges, "You heard me, daughter. Were you not listening as Gabriel spoke last night? I am your birth mother. The mother you had before was only a host."

Ziva's mouth was still hanging open, mouth unhinged, looking like she was gonna faint... again.

Luraine laughed lightly, "Close your mouth, Ziva, else you'll catch flies."

Ziva obeyed her orders, shutting her gaping mouth as her mind still reeled from the shock as she tried to process the new information, as she was not intent on the information the night before, 'So... I'm the daughter of two gods? Whoa, didn't see that coming... Wait, then what's up with James? Could he also be the offspring of this one?'

She turned her questioning gaze to her now apparent mother, her question unspoken yet still heard between the two of them. And maybe one more.

'Yes, James is all human. You are the only one that is not.'

Both women turned to stare at the figure leaning against the door frame. It kicked off, coming to stand besides them, continuing with his talk, 'It's times like these I wish I could speak out loud instead of mind to mind.'

"Gabriel-sama," Ziva inclined her head at the figure before her, "Have you been well?"

Luraine scoffed at her daughter's polite, excluded demeanour, "Oh please. Don't mind that mute old Dream King, daughter. And please, call us Gabriel and Luraine, at least with out the formalities."

Ziva raised her eyes back to her parents' and nodded, accepting their request. But something still waned at the back of her mind; her shoulder. Ziva peered at said problematic arm and turned to stare at the she-wolf, rubbing her bandaged arm.

"Luraine," she said, her tongue rolling the name around, finding it came out quite easily and was pleased at the prospect, "do you know what happened to my shoulder on the night of my Ordeal? I could've sworn I heard Grabriel's here voice."

With her storm clouded eyes still trained on her mother, she noticed both of the gods shift, barely showing anything, yet enough for a trained Shang and Yamani Warrior. Then it hit her.

"You, you were there weren't you?" Ziva poked a quivering finger in Gabriel's direction, "Why were you there? An ordeal is supposed to be taken along and without any help!" Her eyes narrowed as her father retreated some, eyes flashing with unshed rage.

'I did nothing to ade you in your quest, little one,' Gabriel said, hands slowly coming down from their once raised position, eyes softening at his daughter's righteous anger, smiling inwardly as his daughter did not bleed at his mind talk, unlike the night before, "I should not have been there, you are correct. But I was only there to see the daughter, the one I never had the luxury to watch grow up, fight her final ordeal, one that could either kill every thing in one's self or make [yourself] stronger in every respect."

Ziva's once steel hard gaze softened at her father's words, pleased at the purpose of his unlawful visit. A smile twitched at her upturned lips, but it quickly dispersed as she turned now to face her mother, "And you, what did you put on my arm, the same night father came to visit me?"

Shocked by her bluntness, the she-wolf stepped back a bit, her face surprised, "Why, whatever do you mean by that, daughter?"

Ziva winced, "Don't call me that. I haven't even known you for five hours, just being told that you are now my real parents, and not the ones who died years ago. I still want time to soak all of this in. And you know what I mean by all that I said." Ziva's glare returned, stressing out her every word, "If you don't tell me, i will find out for myself as I know father couldn't do anything, his work belongs in the dream worlds of men, not in the outside. But you, you work at night, most powerful during full moon tides. And if I remember correctly, which I should, it was my night, I was tested during a full moon."

Gabriel looked at his once mate besides him, 'What is she hinting at, Luraine?' Said wolf flinched at the use of her name in the use of such harsh (indictation), but still kept quiet, eyes boring into the human before her.

Ziva growled, a snarl ripping out from deep within her throat, "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll figure it out myself, mother." Immediately her hand went to her right shoulder, tanned callused hands gripping the white ties surrounding it.

"No!" Luraine cried out, stepping for word, trying to stop her daughter from the mistake she was about to do.

But she was too late.


	9. Chapter 9

"Aaaargh!"

Both Gabriel and Luraine turned to stare at their screaming daughter.

Ziva was on the floor, writhing in pain, clenching and unclenching her as strikes of lightning shot up her arm to her burning shoulder.

"Raaargh!"

Another scream tore through the air as her back arche din pain, letting go of the now glowing shoulder, then quickly grasping it once again as the pain receeded, only to strike again to another vulnerable area.

But in that quick second, where she had set free the view of the mark lacing her shoulder, Gabriel saw something that made everything else freeze.

That mark.

Her hsoulder was glowling sea blue, a deep green-blue ocean color laced with the sky, like the agic of some unknown power higher than even the gods here. It surrounded a mark that made Gabriel's blood run cold.

That mark.

It was the mark of a beast, a wolf.

The nails that marked his daughter's tanned callused skin made three deep groves from the top left of her right shoulder to about half way down her to her forearm.

But that mark, there was something off about that mark.

The last scratch was thicker at the end, as if wearing some signia that only a few could own, some signia that he was very familiar with as it had marked his back some passionate night over a decade ago.

It was the signia of a royal wolf, the queen of the pack.

Gabriel turned to face the quivering royal wolf besides him, eyes flashing. 'Luraine,' he started, mind voice streaked with calm, controlled rage, 'What did you do to our daughter?'

Slowly, said she-wolf turned to face the god along side her, taking a step back at the cold, bruel, ice hard gaze boring back into her's.

"I-I-I tried t-to tell you. You kn-now I d-did. So m-many times. But you w-wouldn't li-listen! To much war with the immortals! I couldn't stand it! I could do nothing to help her!"

Gabriel stared as the once wolf started quaking, odd things changing all about her; hair disappearing, canines shrinking, pointed ears shifting.

His gaze softened as he knelf besides the now human-looking god, draping his cloak around her as he nodded to the darklings as they took his daughter to, what they discribed as, a safer place, to the place where their masters' lay; to the dragon planes.

Fling that piece of information in the back of his mind to deal with later, he turned to face back to the woman on the ground, still shaking from the trauma of her explosive reaztion. 'What do you mean by all that?' he coazed, cooing softly in her mind, angry at himself for being so harsh with her, 'What couldn't you stop?'

"I couldn't stop the mark. I couldn't stop it from coming, from claiming her. Don't you understand?"

She raised her tear stained, swollen eyes to his, sky blue eyes swimming in tears, begging him to understand.

But as much as Gabriel wished he did, he could not.

He just shook his head gently, 'No. I don't. Explain to me then.'

Luraine's eyes went blank, staring at nothing, just looking into nothing, as if trying to find the answeres far beyond her, "The mark. I couldn't stop the mark. It happens once every five thousand years."

Her body slumped as if lack of will to even hold up her pride anymore. She turned to face him, eyes sunked, no sign of life flickering in them, "She has the mark of the Ice Wolf, Gabriel. She will never be fully human ever again."


	10. Chapter 10

"Mmrghf." Ziva groaned as she woke up, hand caressing her throbbing arm, "I seem to be waking up this way a lot, don't I?"

She shook her head. Why was she even talking to herself in the first place?... Whatever.

She tried to think back to what had happened the night before, remembering only pain, shoulder aflame, Gabriel comforting a human Luraine, dark blobs, being lifted off the ground, a stone carved cave entrance, then blank. Nothing.

She mentally shrugged her shoulders, seeing as how if she did it in real life it would hurt like hell. Ignoring her random and strange thoughts, pushing them away to the back of her mind to deal with later, she thought to herself, 'Might as well look around, seeing as I'm not getting out of here any time soon.'

Ziva put her hands on her kneese and pushed up, groaning at the effort, sounding like a ninety year old crone. 'Man,' she thought to herself, 'I really over did what I did, didn't I?'

She dusted off lingering dirt on her worn out black trousers and trudged on ward; past a carved stone door frame and through a pair of thick oak dorrs, plain, with no decoration.

As soon as Ziva stepped one foot in, she immediately turned around to get right back out, kind of creeped out that the dark room, lit only by dim lilttle flames hanging along the ceiling, was occupied by large, shadowy, frumpy figures.

But a voice halted her in her tracks, "Stop."

She froze.

"Walk back."

Ziva took a few hesitant steps backward, never turning around to face the voice that spoke, fillied with deman for respct and ovedience, making her quake in her button black boots.

"Now turn around."

The voice was beginning to sound impatient, a few snickers lingered in the background.

Slowly Ziva turned, feet pivoting beneath her. Yet still she did not see them, but that could be because her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Open your eyes, mortal."

The voice was now loaced in anger. Ziva smirked inwardly, 'Someone doesn't have much patience, now do they? Tsk tsk little gods. Patience is a viture, don't ya know?'

Ziva opened her eyes, ready to the people before her her point of view, but once she fully accessed the picture before her, she froze solid, words stuck in her throat, shocked that the things before her were even alive.

The 'they' she was refering to was dragons. About fifty of them in all, all furrounding one chair, the cener piece of the horribly bare room.

It was pure gold, lined with blood red velvet, and in it sat the most majestic thing Ziva had ever seen. It was a dragon like the rest, as old as it was beautiful, light shining down from a crack above fell upon it, making it flow a million different colors and shades and hues, glinting off its pale greens and blues and purples and whites. It's silver eyes blinked at her questionably, "Why are you here mortal? Should you not be resting where you'd once laid? Down below with all of the other tittering humans?"

Ziva chuckled nervously at the dragon's voice, echoing across the romm, making her shiver to the bone with its aloofness. "Uh, I dunno where that would be actually. I'm kinda lost, you see. I just woke up a few doors down and I decided to take a look around, you know, explore."

The dragons behind the rainbow one muttered to themselves at Ziva's reply; 'How did a human get here alone?', 'I think she's lying', 'Why should we trust a human when they do nothing but kill each other?'

Ziva winced at the last bit, wasn't like they were wrong there.

The conversations were cut short as the rainvow scaled dragon raised a knarled, clawed hand. His emotionless, pupiless eyes focusing in, or trying to, on the spot where she stood. That's when she realized it, "Wait a sec! Are you blind?"

The silver speckled orbs narrowed at the sound of Ziva's impudence, "That is not the matter at hand, human. The question is, how did you get into dragon lands without any help from the gods?"

Ziva cocked an eyebrow, "How do you know the gods didn't help me?"

"We would've smelt them on your figure. They leave a very 'distinctive' scent," a grey and gold, fifty six foot female dragon replied.

'Plus,' a voice mind spoke into her mind, 'gods are not allowed in the dragon land! At least now without our permission.'

Ziva looked down to her left to stare at the four foot heigth, with and extra two for its tail, white bodied, black shoe button eyed young dragon, accompanied by a slightly older looking, five and a half foot, not including tail, decorated with inter-mixing steel-grey and black scales.

"Hello, little one," Ziva said, dipping her head a bit to match its height, "What's your name?"

'I'm Icefall, but everyone calls me Scamp. And this is Steelsings, but I call him Grizzle cause he's so old,' Scamp finished, nudging Grazzle a bit with its tail.

Grizzle scoffed, speaking aloud, "Children should be seen and not heard, Scamp."

'Heeey,' Scamp whined, still mindspeaking seeing as how he wasn't old enough to talk aloud yet like Grizzle, 'You're only one century older than me.'

Chuckling at the young dragons' bickering, Ziva turned around to face the tail tapping her shoulder.

"Pardon the young ones for their impudence, mortal," It was the grey and gold one who had spoken earlier, "They are only three and four centuries old." It went on, "I am Moonlight, their grandmother. You will meet their grandfather, my mate Emeraldwing, soon enough. He has always been 'fond' of humans."

Ziva bowed her head low, murmuring, "I am honoured. Thank you for offering your hospitality under such odd surcomstances. If there is anything i can do to ease me and my wolf's stay [who happened to be a couple doors down, still unconscious and sleeping on a pillow], just let me know."

"Well, you can start by answering out first question, human," a black dragon with a grey speckled muzzle spoke up.

Ziva ignored him though and turned to face the rainbow dragon once again. "What would you like me to do? Seeming as you're the leader here or something."

One of the dragon's sightless eyes twitched slightly as he replied, "Do no mistake us for one of your human 'democracies.' We rule here by rules and rules only. You may adress me by Rainbow, as is my given name."

"I am sorry if I offended you, oh wise and powerful Rainbow-sama," Ziva mocked, eyebrow twitching upward, "Now what was that question you wanted me to answer?"

All the dragons in the room took a couple steps back as the tension grew thicker around the two glaring figures; a stormy eyed human and a silver eyed blind dragon.

Suddenly, something just clicked, the tension draining out like a once plugged up drain, now cleared of scum.

"We would like to know how you got to this plane without any help from the other immortals," Rainbow finally said, breaking the silence, his mouth quirking slightly.

Ziva tilted her head back, closing her eyes, thinking about the scenes she had just contemplated before she waltzed into this interrogation session.

"Well," she started slowly, "the only thing i really remember clearly about coming here is a wreched tatoo scar thing, black blobs, and a stone cave covered with designes of dragons and human battling and such."

She cracked open an eye, "That enough info for ya?"


	11. Chapter 11

"So lemme get this straight," Ziva said about an hour after that interesting little episode as a few of the younger dragons went to go check on the now coming around Lupus, "these little black blob things called darklings, created by the queen of chaos, Ursula or something, are the things that carried me here seeing as they turned good and considered you guys their masters."

Moonlight nodded her head, "That is correct, small one. And apparently, one has taken a liking to you."

Ziva looked over her shoulder to see what the female dragon was talking about, but the site on her shoulder stopped her in mid turn.

It was a tiny black goop pile, slowly forming little stubby arms with tiny, gloopy black balls for hands. It had a pinecone hat-like thing sitting on top of its ball shaped head, which it tipped politely as it said, "Johnny."

Ziva turned her head back to Moonlight, "Is this a joke?"

The dragon smiled as Grizzle came in and answered, "I wish. I was rather fond of that one. Well, they said that they were told to take you here, seeing as the mark on your arm was too powerful and you need someone to help train you with it and learn to control its powers. So they say at least."

Ziva turned to look at the blob on her marked shoulder. He tilted his hat a bit once again and spoke in his squeaky, mouse-like voice, "Dream man say what big lizard say."

Ziva lifted a hand to cover her mouth, cracking up as Grizzle just glared at Johnny. "I am not a lizard," he insisted.

Johnny just shrugged and said, "You look like."

Just as Grizzle was about to make a retort, Rainbow waltzed on in, tail flowing behind him.

"Ziva of Davied," Rainbow started, "You have been officially accepted among our dragon council. Ready for tonight. Your acceptance is to be official then."

He then walked away leaving Moonlight to turn back towards the gaping Ziva and Grizzle grinning, saying thoughtfully, "I do believe we have some old human dresses that might fit you, Ziva. Come, let us try them on you, hmm?"

She then led the way into another doorway, dragging a still stupored Ziva along with her to her ultimate doom.


	12. Chapter 12

"Whaaat?" Ziva pulled at the hem of the elegant Yamani style kymono, "Why do I have to wear a dress?!"

She groaned as Moonlight pulled it down with her ever so nimble claws, snapping a few pins down in place as she took a quick glare at her human prisoner, "You do not like the dress, Ziva-san? I thought it suited your heritage very well."

Said girl scowled, "Apparently that is not my original line; I am the daughter of two completely different gods, a dreamer and a wolf, not of two respectable Yamani citizens."

"Ah," Moonlight concluded, glaring as Scamp snickered at Grizzle's frowning expressoin as Lupus moved the next chess piece, Johnny squeaking joyously, jumping up and down on the wolf's head as a pawn was removed from the board.

All this happening a ways away as Moonlight went on, "But you did live there all your life, no? Then your heritage is, and always will be, Yamani."

Ziva pondered the older immortal's words carefully, "Hey, you actually got a point there."

Said dragon snorted, "Don't sound too surprised on my account."

Ziva grinned back toothily, "I won't."

Moonlight once again snorted at the childish acting Yamani and Shang warrior, eyes going back to her work, ignoring the protests of her torture project.

After a couple minutes of pure silence, said prisoner spoke up, saying, "So what's this ceremony fuss all about?"

Moonlight looked back up at her and replied, "It's to accept you into our way of life, though your human origin might get in the way of that, you need to be one of us to live here, seeing as how we are the ones who are going to teach you to control that mark of yours."

Scamp decided to put her two-bits in and piped up loudly, "Emeraldwing is going to adopt you into his family line! That means I get to have a human for a sister! The others will be so jealous," she cackled evilly, clacking her claws together in thought. Ziva grinned at her mischevious behavior, "Couldn't have asked for a better little sister, and you too, Grizzle, of course."

She held up her hands at Grizzle quick glare over at the group, mind still reeling at the game she and the Lupus duo were playing.

Ignoring Moonlight's warning growl at the yanking of the dress, she went on saying, "Sounds like fun either way. Now I can't wait for the ceremony thing."

Ziva grinned foolishly, having it quickly disappear as Moonlight jabbed in a pin. "Youch!"

Said human jumped from the impact, yanking her dress out from Moonlight's deadly claws, while rubbing her romp and saying, "Hey! What was that for, ya old goose?!"

Moonlight just ignored the insult, seeing as she was well used to them now after being in a changing room with a dress wearing Ziva, as Johnny rolled around Lupus' head in a ball, gloopy body shaking with his mouse like laughter, and replied, "To get you to shut up and stand still, little one. It's hard enough with claws instead of human hands, and a very impatient client, along with some just as noisy tennants as well."

The last bit aimed at the chess group over at the corner, who all blushed a lovely dust rose color, Grizzle ducking her head as she muttered about abusive grandmothers and genius wolves.

Catching the last bit, Ziva looked over at Moonlight with a curious expression adorning her face, "Wait, so if I'm being 'adopted' into the family with Emeraldwing as my granddad, does that mean you'd be my..."

"Yep," Moonstar replied cheerfully as she expertly slid in a few more stitches with her oh so sharp, knife-like nails, "I'm you new grandmother."

A few seconds later, one word could be heard echoing through out the cavern walls, accompanied by some chuckles in the background as one oh so distressed looking human yelled,

"...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


	13. Chapter 13

After a quick apology and a short hour later, we find our heroine standing in front of a crowd of fellow dragons, some smiling at the change being brought upon them, others frowning and cursing all of human kind.

But Ziva ignored all this as she turned to face Rainbow and Emeradwing, confidence shining from her very core as she stood beautifully in a crimson colored Yamani styled gown, trimmed with gold threwad and accented with lilypad flowers flowing across its hem.

Johnny, dressed in his little black goopyness, stood on her right shoulder, carefuly not to get anything on the dress, holding his hat respectfully in his ball shaped hands.

Lupus stood grandly besides her, coat shining after the brush Scamp and Grizzle had given him, eyes staring straight ahead, proud that they were going to be accepted to this cavern of interesting enough reptiles.

Ziva grinned at both Johnny and Lupus, mind going back to what Rainbow was saying; Scamp, Grizzle, and Moonlight standing alongside Emeraldwing, giving her a quick grin, lending her heart hope.

'...Do you, Emeraldwing and family, take this mortal, Ziva of Davied, as part of this colony, as your friend, daughter, sister, and of equal rank amond both you and us?"

"We do," replied the corus.

Rainbow turn his blind gaze to Ziva, "Do you, Ziva Davied of both the Yamani Islands and of the Immortal Realm, accept Emeraldwing, Moonlight, Grizzle, and Scamp as your brothers, parents, gaurdian, friends, and equals in every being?"

"I do," replied Ziva, Johnny adding in a, "Do!" while Lupus barked in agreement.

Rainbow paused a bit at both Johnny's and Lupus' add in, his lips twitching a bit as he went on, "Moonlight, as future gaurdian and grand-mother, closest of the to-be, you may put the ring on the human's left forefinger."

As Moonlight ldid as Rainbow told her, Ziva admired the ring, shocked at what it represented; it was a dragon twirling around the sumpol for family, fire flowing from its mouth, eyes inlaid with onyx stones, its mouth quirking at her.

"And now," Rainbow's voice interrupting her thought, "Human bound by dragons, dragons bound by human, become one and are now joined for ever more."

Bam! The ring, now also a burned impression on her finger, glowed a deep sea blue glow, swirling around as ancient magic swirled through her viens, combining both human and dragon blood, that was contained inside the ring, together.

Slowly Ziva picked herself up from the floor where she had fallen from the jolt of electricity drumming through her veins at the ring's connection. She looked around her, not feeling any different except for being a little lighter as if invisible wings were attached to her back and feeling tougher skinned, as if human skinned scales were attached all over her.

Rainbow smiled at the shocked dragon-human, stepping back as an onslaught of cries from the group before him erupted, some cheers coming from the outside audience, Scamp and Grizzle running up to her, squeezing her into a bone crushing hug.

As Emeraldwing and Moonlight followed at a more leisurely place, one thought raced through Ziva's mind, the new addition to the dragon planes, 'Family. I have a family once more.'

And she squeezed them back with all her might, letting tears of joy slide down her flushed cheeks as she let thoughts of dead family, god family, and a brother waiting back home flow past her mind, just relishing in her new found life, having a hard time believing she had met them less than twenty-four hours ago yet feeling close as if she had known them for years.

But of course, when something good happens, something of equal annoyance must come also. And so it stepped up, in a dragon form, as Rainbow approached her and said, "Human of dragons, it is now time to check this mark that has the whole of the gods up our tails. Please step away and raise the right sleeve of your gown."

Regretfully, Ziva pulled herself away from her new family's chocking grip, smiling gently at Emeralwing's and Moonlight's encouraging nod.

Slowly she pulled up her right sleeve of her kimono, exposing the marked flesh beneath it. As soon as it was shed out to the light, Rainbow's pupiless eyes widened, feeling the powerful magic surrounding it.

"It seems as if we have underestimated the severity of the situation, Elder," an old, yet elegant in her time, a shimmering skying blue dragon stepped up next to Rainbow, head dipping slightly in Ziva's shocked direction, "This will take years to master, this Ice Wolf mark. Do you think that Ziva Davied of the Dragon Planes has the strength to accomplish that?"

Rainbow shook his head, mind still reeling from the shock of seeing a god received mark on the skin of a part human, but replied steadily, eyes solid in his reply as he attached his gaze to Ziva's own, "It does not matter what I think, Skylight. Ziva Davied of both the Yamani Islands, Dragon Planes, and the Immortal Realm," he refocussed his blind eyes on the blurred figure before him, hidden behind a wall of ocean blue, ancient magic from times beyond his own, "Do you have the means, the will, to conquer this 'blessing' the god's of the sky have decided to put upon you?"

Both Moonlight and Emeraldwing, along with Scamp, Grizzle, and the rest of the dragon population, hateful and not, watched as Ziva straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and lifted her head high, nodding as she replied in a such a cold and clear voice that could've knocked Gabriel out of the running,

"Yes."


	14. Chapter 14

Phweeee! The sound blew in the air, signalling all passengers that the boat back to the Copper Isles was sailing.

A lone woman stood on the dock, tan longsleeved coat whipping around her jet black hair, swirling around her storm grey eyes, mouth quirking as she felt a presence besides her.

It was a wolf, as silver as the moon, canines snapping at the chill borne air, his shimmering fur standing up on end. The female was dressed simply; a long tan trench coat, a brown travelers bag slung across one shoulder, a long stick with a sword type metal on one end and a piece of cloth hanging from the other stood in her callused hand, said left limb dressed in only a gold ring, a detailed dragon imprinted on it, a dark coal black beaded necklace encirling her long slender neck, a little pinecone sticking out of the back like a clasp.

A sigh filled the air around her as she straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and turned to face the beast beside her, "C'mon, Lupus. Let's head home."

* * *

"Sire!" A sildier came running up the floor of the throne room, stopping before the Emperor of the Yamani Islands, Kyoumi Yakatsuki, his head touching the floor as he knelt to the ground and bowed.

"What is it?" a cold, gruff voice answered back, a squint of laughter hiding in check.

Keeping his head bowed, the messenger replied, "There is a strange woman at the gate, accompanied by a terrifying wolf beast, a glaive carried in her hand. She told us she is one known as Ziva of Davied? We replied back to her that we would have to check with you, sire, seeing as her name was once listed there under residents but is now underlying the missing persons list."

No one noticed during this discussion, a man's head coming up, eyes trained on the scene before him.

"Well then let her in, by all means," the Emperor laughed joyously, "It has been a long time since I have seen that little scoundrel."

The messendger nodded his head and left, only to come back a minute more, running after the figure in front of him, scampering and trying to tell it that it was not allowed to enter before the king, blah blah blah blah blah.

The woman ignored the messenger, her eyes trained on the Emperor before her.

"Ziva?"

All eyes shifted to face the man in the corner of the room, to the left of the Emporer's dias. Said person's head turned also, giving the man a clear view of his mysery woman's tanned and well scratched up face.

"Ziva! It is you!"

The man ran from his position next to the Emporer, one minute there, the next throwing his arms around the woman's waist, lifting her up high and laughing as he had never done since the episode three years ago.

"Ziva! Oh stupid sister of mine! The Emperor and I were looking for you for years! Where did you disappear to? Why did it take you so long to come back to the Islands?"

Ziva, daughter of Kyoshi and Izuma Nikomono, Advisors of the Emperor, citizens of the Yamani Islands, and among other things, threw back her head and laughed aloud, "James! I can't breath you foolish brother! Put me down and I will explain!"

Immediately he let go, dropping her to the floor, watching her land on her feet like a cat.

He grinned crookedly, "Looks like someone's learned a few tricks. I still remember when you couldn't even do the splits."

His long lost sister grinned right back, "Looks like someone's gotten a sharper than ever tongue, oh brother dearest."

A voice coughed lightly behind them, politely insiting for permission to intrude on their reuniting conversatoin.

The newly reunited sister and brother turn their heads in acknowledgement to the well dressed servant before them.

"The Emperor would like to see you," he said simply, walking back after his relayed message was affirmed.

The brother and sister looked at each other and shrugged, hey, it was the Emperor, might as well go.

As they walked towards the conference room, Ziva shot James question after question, catching up on whatever she had missed the last three years; which wasn't much besides that the Yamani Islands and Tortall were allies, about to bind it through some marriage contract or some other kind of junk, not really something Ziva paid attention to though she was sorry for whatever sappy prince and poor girl was caught up in that, but other than that, nothing new.

Before they could walk through the conference door though, James put his hands on Ziva's shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes, as if looking for some lost something.

"Ziva," he said after some unnerving seconds, "Promise me that you _will_ tell me all that happened during your time away?"

Mocking her brother's movements, Ziva layed her hands on his forearms, also gazing into his eyes, though her mouth held a slight quirk to it.

"James... of course I will, silly!" she said, ruffling her taller little brother's hair, having to stand up on her tip toes to reach his six foot height versus her five foot nine, "Now let's go in and see what's up with the Emporer, shall we?"

And with that, they pushed open the doors to the room, gins adorning their faces; but they quickly switched to a formal mask as they were motioned to sit down across from the Emperor, their parents long time friend.

"Ziva," Emperor Kyoumi started, wrinkled forest green eyes crinkling at the edges, his only emotion showing on his Yamani mask that all who live there develope, "It is good to have you back after you long... vacation."

Ziva nodded her head in agreement, "It's good to be back, your Highness."

The Emperor chucked, waving his hands in an unconcerned manner as he replied, "Oh please, enough with the formalities, Ziva, James. After all, it won't do to have you call your new stepfather that, now would it?"

The Emperor threw back his head, his laugh ringing along the walls, his humor erupting at the sight of Ziva and James' faces. He wiped away a tear, still chuckling, as he asked, "Did Kyoshi and Izuma not tell you?"

The siblings both shook their heads as he went on, "The month before they were killed, they came to me with a request. That being, if they ever died that i would take care of you like my own children; which, of course, was new to me, but I tried my best, seeing as I did not, nor now, have any children of my own."

Both of the heads across from him nodded again, eyes and ears intent on his every word.

The Emperor smiled and continued speaking, "Well, the week before your disappearance, I signed the adoption papers, making you my leagal children, already having your signatures as your parents gave them to me before they departed."

At the mention of his good friends' death, his smile faultered, but he easily picked it back up again as James started to speak, "Does that mean we can call you father and are in next line to the throne?" A frown lingered on Jame's face as he voiced his question. T

The Emperor nodded, happily expecting this kind of quesetion from James, ecstatic that they seemed to be accepting the idea of him fathering the two of them.

"Does this mean I have to wear dresses?"

His laugh boomed aloud once again as he chuckled out, "Ziva, always the same aren't you? You never change."

He shook his head, "Although I'll bet your fighting style has, what over the three year period. You must go show my new gaurd recruits how to _really_ fight."

As they made their way back down hall after an hour or two of catching up on all of Ziva's adventure, skipping the Immortal Realms of course, Ziva skipping ahead of the two at the prospect of fighting humans again and not just almost non hurtable dragons, not that the other two knew, James turned to face the Emporer, pulling him off the to the side.

"When are you going to tell her?" James hisses as he and the Emperor occupied a spare room.

"Why, whatever do you mean, son?"

"You know what I mean," James replied right back, teeth grinding softly in frustration, "When are you going to tell her that once she reaches nineteen, two years from now, she'll have to marry a Tortallan prince as she and Alan are the... conformation for our 'alliance.'".

The Emperor's smile disappeared, a serious look clouding over his face, "Just to get this straight, this 'confirmation' was established after I signed the adoption papers, so I did not just want you two as an easy way to get out of this. I am sorry if you did think that, but that is not true. Your parents were _very_ good friends to me, the best, I trusted them with my life and the life of the Yamani Islands as my advisors. I swore to them to keep you two well taken care of, and I will honor that promise to my last breath."

James noddd his head, "Good, I know you always stay true to your word, but you need to tell her soon, preferably tonight at dinner. But if she asks to go do something, I do believe she will agree to it for you and now her people but she will want freedom before she is pinned down, agree with whatever her wish is; else you will have tortured lion just itching at the chance to go off as scratch that itch."

Emperor Kyoumi inclined his head, contemplating his son's wise words of advice.

"I will agree with your plan, James," he agreed slowly, thinking his every syllable out, "Tonight, I will let her know then. Any plans she decides to have before her marriage can and will be accepted as long as it's safe to her person and reasonable. Otherwise, if anything bad happens to her I will never forgive myself," the Emperor concluded, eyes flaming as he finished his speech, exiting the room dramatically, his coat flying behind him, leaving an ever so still James pondering his words in his dust.


	15. Chapter 15

Zing!

Clash!

Slice!

The sun glinted off the polished to perfection swords, clanging again each other like an intricate dance.

Ziva watched in awe as she stared at the two advancing swords, watching them glitter in the sunlight.

"Wow," she lightly muttered to herself.

A man near by her heard the murmur, coming to stand next to her. Grinning greasily in what he apparently thought was a seducing or something kind of smile, he asked, "Out soldiers are the best, aren't they, lil missy?"

Ziva scoffed, waving her hand about dismissedly, "Oh, that. They're not that good. The Bazhirs, now the Bazhirs know swordplay. But no, I was admiring their swords! Such detail! Almost as good as my own!"

The soldier bristled beside her at her words. "How could you, a woman," he sneered, "Know anything about swords? This is a man's world lady. Go back to your knitting or whatever."

Just as he was making his way to turned away from the still mountain calm looking woman, he froze, a cool taste of metal lilcking at the exposed skin of his neck, "Don't move."

A low growl sounded a few feet away from her, the soldiers separated as a regal looking wolf came into view, teeth bared, eyes narrowed at the figure his master was holding captive.

The man turned his frightful eyes to the glowering woman behind him.

Still trying to be brave, what with all the other men staring at their scene, the cowardice man spoke up, "What? Are you going to kill me with that play sword of yours? You don't have the guts."

The hand holding the hillt of the sword threatening him tightened, knuckles going white. the soldier gulped nervously, sweat drops rolling down his back, his Adam's apple nicking the blade, causing a string of blood to trickle down his quaking throat. but the hand receeded, "No, I'm not going to kill you"; but before the foolish man could make his escape, the hilt of a sword was thrusted at him, "I'm going to duel you."

Fifteen minutes later, after stretching out her taunt muscles, we find Ziva at the center of a ring, Lupus sitting a ways away, watching the scene with animalistic amusement as Johnny sat upon his furry head, grasping the wolf's furry ear, clapping them together in amusement at the funny human scene below.

Ziva focused her gaze on the now calmer soldier across from her, both surrounded by soldiers and servants of all ranks. "You can still back out of this, you know," the soldier shouted to her, apparently regaining his usual composure, relaxing his stance, "I'll let you go, free of charge."

His only response was the female before him shrugging off her long coat, barring tanned, lean, muscular arms, body going into a fighting position, callused hands showing years of work positioning the sword at the ready.

The soldier shrugged, "Your funeral," ignoring the warning flashes in his mind. Then,

BAM!

Their swords crashed together, both of them pushing off, testing the other's strength; Ziva's face pulling in a frown, the soldier's a smirk.

Sling!

Crash!

Zing!

Their swords recreating the metallic and beautiful sounds from the earlier battle that had started this all, touching and retreating searching for an opening.

Sling!

The soldier's sword lifted high into the air, cutting down with speed untouched. That is, till Ziva arrived.

Clank!

Sword and sword pressed against the opposing, each fighting for dominance.

Slice!

One of the swords, the hilt decorated in gold stamped ivory twists, a sapphire dead center in the ring of it, deep sea blue magic swirling insaide, contained, the Blue Ice, a sword of legends.

The piece of deadly metal flashed in the sunlight, momentarily blinding all viewers as it swung around the other advancing weapon, swirling around to the back of the opponent as the hilt struck a nerve in the opposing hand's wrist, making it drop its weapon to the ground as its attacker wrapped its sword around his neck.

"Surrender," a mouth hiss into the ear of the captured.

"I-I s-s-surren-d-der," the other man stuttered in fear of what he'd just experienced, gasping for air as the other stepped aside.

Ziva cleaned off her blade with the hem of her shirt, eyebros twitching as she felt the stares of the other soldiers.

Finally she just cracked under the weight of their simultaniously stupid stares.

"Hey!" she yelled, eyes ablaze at their immense stupidity, her yell making them jump in surprise, "What the hell are you staring at?! Get back to training!"

Though technically they didn't know she was either a Shang or a Yamani Warriors, but at the moment she looked like the last thing anyone wanted to mess with. And as if the goddess of Chaos herself was at their heels, they ran back to the field and started practicing, anything to get them away from the demon lady.

"Funfun!" A little voice spoke a ways away from where she stood.

Ziva turned to grin at the wolf duo as Lupus came trotting over, Johnny standing a top his head, still clapping the annoyed wolf's ears together in laughter at the funny humans' scene.

"It was fun, wasn't it, Johnny?"

The small blob shook himself in agreement as Lupus snorted his reply while the darkling replied, "Funfun!"

Ziva chuckled, a grin spreading across her before annoyed face, laughing at her friends' antics as the trio walked back towards the castle, Lupus running back at forth between the trees surrounding the training area, letting Johnny grab his furry triangle ears before he went flying, one hand grabbing his ear, the other holding onto his pinecone hat as the dinner bell rang the time for supper.


	16. Chapter 16

Ziva fidgeted nervously, fingering the hem of her deep blue tunic, green blue running along the now fraying edge of her hem, eyes flickering back and forth, black flad feet kicking each other softly as her gently rising deep sea green trousers rose.

'Man, not even the old dragon council meetings were as boring as this,' thought bored Yamani Warrior thought to herself.

"Where is he," she hissed to her companioin siting by her side.

"I don't know," another hiss replied, her brother's voice speaking softly beneath the hums of the quiet dinning room, "He's never this late. Ten minutes, yes. Half an hour to an hour, no."

"I don't think this is a good sign, James. I say we go out and find him before whatever mess he's made finds us."

James shook his head, his blue tinted raven hair flying in front of his eyes, "No, we should wait till he comes to us. maybe it's all one big misunderstanding."

Ziva snorted, "When is anything just a 'misunderstanding' with him?"

James thought silently for a second.

"Exactly my point," Ziva continued.

"Ah, but you love him anyways," James adde with a grin, teasing his older sister.

She grinned right back, "And don't you forget it. He's like the biggest kid in the whole world! I swear! I once found him on the floor coloring on his work papers with once of the visiting representatives' pet monkey!"

Bam!

All the heads in the room turned towards the door, relief filled sighs filling the room as the Emperor walked into the room, his cloak trailing grandly behind him.

"Now then," said childish Emperor Yakatsuki, clapping his hands together, "What's with the hold up? Let the feasting begin!"

Smiling at the lingering chuckles at his behavior, the Emperor sat down in between Ziva and James, ignoring his daughter's twitching eye.

"What. Was. That. About," Ziva grounded between her teeth. "We've. Been. Waiting. For. Half. An. Hour." she stressed.

The Emeror grinned at her sheepishly, "I had to finish up the meeting with the councilor about the adoption papers. They all had to talk it over, and with all of the old men's hearing going down, it took a _long_ time."

The woman in front of him glared for a second but noded, apparently pleased he was telling the truth.

"But, Ziva." Said called person shifted her gaze back to the now suddenly serious Emperor, "After this I need you to meet me in the West Winged Library. There is something important I need to talk to you about."


	17. Chapter 17

"What?!"

The sound echoed across the hall borders, servants pausing as the noise reached their ears, shrugging as they realized it was just Ziva and the Emperor with their daily dispute.

"Ziva, could you please talk a little quieter? I mean, unless you want to announce this to the whole castle and its occupants, which I'm pretty sure you don't," the Emperor asked of her calmly.

"What the hell do you mean I have to marry a Tortallan Prince?!" Ziva whispered harshly, acknowledging her father's request as her hand spun the black necklace around her fingers unconsciously, stopping at Johnny's indignant squeal, who was, as you have probably guessed, the beaded black necklace.

Ziva silently thanked the gods that only she could hear him, what with his tiny stature and all, other wise the Emperor would have one to many questions about how she had managed to access a darkling of all things when they were supposed to not fully exist.

"It means that as soon as you turn of marrying age, at ten and nine years, two years from now, you must marry a Prince of their choice to tie the bonds of our countries together. Unless, of course, you don't want to. Then we can just go back to fighting each other, having more lives ended in the proves," Emperor Yakatsuki said, feeling slightly guilty at pulling at her weakness; a hate of needless deaths.

His words froze Ziva in the midst of her rant, gears slowly turning in her mind as she contemplated her father's words.

"I get to pick the wedding date," she agreed slowly, ignoring the Emperor's wide grin, "Around the twenty third of Autumn would suffice. That and I also want to go exploring before I'm tied down. I want to visit my friends in the Coppper Islands and I want to see my future kingdom, under my Shang name of course, so as no one may know it's me and I may get to see the real side of it and not the side that nobles put up to impress you. Does that suir your measures, father?" she asked, voice holding a slight edge of mocking, eyes firm as she denied herself the luxury of refusing the arranged marriage, refusing to have more blood spilled on land just because she was too stubborn to go along with everyone else's plans.

Besides, who else would take her place? The Emperor had no children, what with his first wife dead and him not wanting to marry another.

The Emperor frown, his voice breaking through her thoughts, worry eviden tin his forehead wrinkles, "You will have to at least bring along your brother, but besides that it should be alright. When will you believing?" he added sadly, assuming his new daughter would want to leave as soon as possible to extend her two year period of unmatramony as long as possible; though he did wish he could spend more time with her, he knew that she needed what she needed. Being told that you were going to be married to a man you've never met before is never easy.

Jolted our of his thoughts, the Emperor was pleasantly surprised to find himself enveloped in Ziva's arms.

"In two weeks," she said as gently as she could while pulling away, her fondness for him showing in her eyes, "After all, I have to teach _someone_ how to take care of you."

She laughed at the Emperor's indignant pouty expression. "I'm not _that _bad," he insisted, "Or at least not bad enough to need a baby sitter of all things!"

"Really? Then what about the time with the Duchess of Windbreak and how she came back and complained so much to me when I returned from my trip to the upper farms of how you switched her hard boiled egg with a non boiled one, and when she went to crack it open-"

"Alright alright. Maybe I do like to have _some_ fun," the Emperor relented shrugging, ignoring Ziva's unbelieved snort, "But can you really blame me? Those councilor members are so stiff! Besides, you know I can be serious when needed."

Ziva nodded her head at that, mind flashing back to how his eyes shifted cold, fists clenched in fury, mouth set in a grim line when he had first heard about her parents' death.

"Alrighty then, if that's all cleaned up" Ziva's head shot up from her dazed expression, eyes wary at his toothy grin spreading across his face, "Time to go announce the great news and your new status, eh miss I'm-a-fiancée?"

He chuckled as he ducked and ran our of the room, narrowly miss the cream pie sailing over his head.

Later that night, as he sat upon his swan feather stuffed bed, his happy expression dipped ino a concerned frown. He worried about Ziva and James, he really did. He was happy that she agreed to marry the foreigner, that was obvious, I mean what dad doesn't want to be able to pick out his daughter's husband and insure she's safe?

But he prayed up to Mithros, as he readied himself for bed, that she would have a safe journey across the harsh lands that separate their two countries, and that neither Ziva and James would run into any trouble and get hurt on this adventure thing she calls fun.


	18. Chapter 18

The guards stumbled back through the winter wonderland, icicles showering down on them from above, snow cushioning their stomping footsteps as they crashed through frost encrusted trees and bushes, mind racing the thr thought of what they had just seen dead center in the middle of the icicle waste land.

"Sir Cleon! Sir Cleon!"

The two guards came crashing through th shrubs surrounding the camp, unaware of all the pairs of eyes staring at them, focused only on the figure coming out fo the tent. The man's head was covered by a deep dark gray mass of mussed up hair, not completely black yet not fully grey, a callused hand showing years of hard work rubbing a square jaw as his ice clue eyes blinked against the blindingly beautiful snow flakes falling against his tan, hardened skin as they sparkled in the sun's dim light.

"What is it, Insel and Ransal? What the emergency this time?"

"Sir there are two, what seem to be, humans standing out in the middle of the field burdened with two bags for what appear to be light traveling, each with two swift footed horses," Insel replied, shaking from the morning's chill air.

"So?" Cleongrowled at them, causing them to step back a bit in faer of his infamous morning temper, "You woke me up at five am for something as trivial as that?!"

"No sir. Not just that." Ransal gathered his courage and stepped forward, eyes staring straight ahead, avoiding his commanding officer as he continued, "One is dressed heavily in fur andjackets, as is customery for this kind of weather. The other though, dresses as if it were summer, wearing nothing but a shoulder sleeved tunic and breeches."

This caught Cleon's attention. "Really?" he asked, face lined with curiosity, "Well now, let's go greet these unknown foreigners and give them a warm Tortallan welcome."

* * *

Ziva froze Lunarwind's tracks, ear twitching at the sound of a broken twig, body gently soaking in the feel of snowflakes gently falling around her, some landing on her person; but as they touched skin they slid right off, as if her whole body was as if just one big block of ice, impervious to any cold.

Ziva turned her gaze to the beast trotting beside her, returning from his marking place in the snow drenched forest, a black blob standing on top of his furry little head. The wolf, having gotten used to the funny little creature, looked up at his master expectantly, feeling the questioning her gaze.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked, fingering her gold ring adorning her left hand, a habit brought up from in the Copper Isles where the humidity had been so great, she had to keep twisting her ring to ensure it stayed on said finger, luckily never once having lost it it their waist tall grass plains.

Lupus shook his fuzzy head, the gloopy figure on to quickly grabbing a hold of the wolf's triangle, fur overed ears, chatting indignantly to the overly large dog as he replied, "Ziva wolf ears. Better hearing then regular wolf?"

As Lupus glared up at the traveling darkling, Ziva turned to face her bundled up brother trotting behind the trio.

"Man," he huffed, clouds of steam erupting from hi mouth with each hazardous breath, "How can you stand this weather, Ziva? I would be as frozen as an icicle by now. Look, even little Johnny is cold."

Ziva grinned down at the fur burrowing darkling, her hand gently coaxing her brownie colored mare back into a gentle trot, "You forget, brother dearest, that cold doesn't have an effect on one made of ice."

As she clopped on ahead, James glared at her retreating back, "Stupid Ice Wolf mark and it stupid impenetrable ability to the stupid cold." But his mutterings soon seized as he almost ran into said Ice marked sister's horse. "Ziva?" he asked, curiously, "What's the hold up?" But Ziva continued to stare at the group of men before her, all dressed in the same uniform, signaling a government to work for, hands at the hilt of their swords.

"James," Ziva started, tilting her head back in a guesture of annoyance, "Seems like we're about to make an unexpected detour."

* * *

Cleon watched calmly as the two horseback riders road into camp, his eyes immediately taking in the stray wolf siding close to the female's side, the horse ignoring it as it snarled at anyone who dared to try and move it, a large, unusual black spot motting its fur.

"Well now, he started off, voice drawling, "May I ask what two foreigners are doing in this part of Tortall?"

Storm silver eyes never left his face as its owner's mouth moved in reply, "I am the Shang Wolf and this is my brother James," she guestured over to the rightfully dressed man beside her, "We have come from the Yamani Islands to explore this country of Tortall as we have heard so much about it, including the fact that you will be tieing bonds with my country."

One thing in that mess caught Cleon's interest, "Yamani Islands? Are you a Yamani Shang?"

The female nodded her head as her brother continued, "Not only that, Wolf is also a Yamani Warrior for the Emperor!"

Cleon watched on as the Shang Wolf slapped her brother over the back of his head with a scowl, seeimingly unappreciative to her brother's remark. Cleon raised an eyebrow as he observed the scene.

"Really?" he asked, voice showing his surprise, "Well, I'm sure the king would love to meet you. That is, unless you won't?"

The men around the two bristled, hands on their weapons as they waited for the siblings reply.

After watching them to gauge their reaction, Ziva turned her cold clear dark eye to Cleon's own coal black ones as she replied in an equally cool boice, "Lead the way, Sir Knight."


	19. Chapter 19

The near retirement saphire eyed King stared at the three people before him, his smile once adorning his face from his soon-to-be-king son's return from the border of Tusain and his happy reunion with his wife and twins now disappeared.

There was his son's page friend, Sir Cleon, Commander of the King's Own Troop Twelve. But there, also besides him, were two foreigners; a long raven haired female with flashing storm eyes, a sword swirling in ancient magic at her side, though she herself held none, and a dark chocolate hair male with forest green eyes trained on his figure. Also, and this was a hard fact to ignore, apparently they had befriended a lone he-wolf or something along the way and a drakling with a pine-cone hat.

Jon sighed to himself as he pondered the situation, motioning to a servant and whispering in his ear, "Go find Mrs. Daine Salazar, wife of Numair Salazar. She should be somewhere out in the pastures with the horses."

As the servant ran off to do the King's bidding, Jon turned back to the small group before him, tilting his head at the two foreigners. "So you say that you're a Shang from the Yamani Islands, set on seeing the kingdom your country is binding with. That and this is you are brother and your two friends, the wolf Lupus and darkling Johnny? I do apologize, but you must see how... unseemly your story sounds."

Ziva graciouslyincline her head, eyes till set firm at the king's own. "Yes sir, I do. But you must also see from my view, being as how this is the truth." Suddenly James stepped forward between the two, reaching into the bag slung around his torso. "I have proof," James said abruptly, ignoring the stares he got from his sister, "That is, if you choose to see."

Once he had shown the men guarding the king that it was only a rolled up parchment and not some weapon, was James allowed to approach said monarch and reveal the scroll that not even Ziva had seen.

"A signed letter from the Emperor himself, hmm?" Jon mumbled to himself, oblivious of everyone watching him for his reaction.

James stepped back besides his sister, earning a scowl and a slap upside the head for the unexpected stunt.

Looking up from said message, Jon's eyes sparkled with a smidge more clarity then before as he stared at the bickering siblings before him. "Gary," he called, a man from his side walking on over. He stood about late thirties; his milk chocolate hair showing signs of grey, fingers imprinted with splots of ink. Jon went on as Gary bowed to his throne, "Duke Gareth, please escort Mr. and Ms...."

Jon socked an eyebrow in their direction.

"Nikomo," Zivaanswered calmly, "Ziva and James Nikomo of Davied."

Mouth quirking at her cool demeanor, Jon turned back to Gareth, "Please show Ziva and James Nikomo of Davied to their new rooms in the west wing. They might need a guide around here aferand such when they are loaded in."

With a bow to his old fellow page, Gary nodded to the two foreigners, "If you two would follow me."

About ten minutes later, past inquisitive glances of both nobles, pages, and servants alike, they were led to a combined two bed room, bathroom separatingthe two, apartment. "And there you go." With that said and done, Duke Gareth handed Ziva and James the set of keys to the room, waving a hand in good bye as he took his leave.

Arching an eyebrow at the odd behavior of the equally odd man, Ziva put the silver key in the lock and twisted, leaving James to do the same. As soon as she entered the bed room, letting Lupus and Johnny bounce around in the new space, sniffing scents and waving hats around, Ziva fell in love.

It was a spacious room, a cot occupying one side, along with a lamp and a side dresser. On the opposing wall was an oak cabinet for clothes and such, hooks lining along the upper wall for hanging weapons. already her bags rested aside said dresser, ready to be unloaded. But stepping aside, Ziva went to far end of the room, gazing at the thing she loved most about the space. Not that the Yamani painting of a river wasn't a bad touch or anthing, but the window posted right next to her bed was what really hooked her. it revealed, if peered through as Ziva was doing, the training courts of the warriors and the forest edge surrounding it. Already men and boys alike were outside, sweat coating their bodies, battling back and forth with both words and swords.

Personally Ziva didn't like the habit of shouting offenses while fighting, but hey, whatever floats their boat right?

Ziva shook her head in amusement as some page made a rookie mistake, causing a scared, crop cut haired man to bark insults at the poor boy.

"Is your room to your liking, my lady?"

Ziva turned at the sound of a still maturing voice, not totally up there, but growing. There stood, in her doorway, a boy of about her height, 5'11 maybe to her 5'10, dirty blond hair pushed into a messy horsetail, his hands slightly fidgeting as he waited for her reply, betraying his worry. Ziva laughed at his uncomfortableness, startling the fourteen year old something, second year page out of his stupor.

"E-e-ecuse me, miss?"

Ziva's crinkled laugh filled eyes softened as she stared into a pair of frightened, caramel ones. Quieting her laugh, she responded gently with a smile on her face, "Yes, it meets my expectations exceedingly."

The boy frowned, not sure if that was a compliment or an insult as he looked around the sparsely furnished room, "Are you sure? Because I could always ask for a better room, one with more furnishings perhaps."

Ziva'ssmile bloomed at his worrisome tone. "Oh don't worry. It's just like my bedroom back at the Yamani Islands. You need to relax a little more, boy. All that politeness is gonna turn you into a stump one of these days,"Ziva replied coily, inwardly cracking up as a tomato red bush spread across the poor boy's face.

"I-I-I," the poor boy stammered as he tried to come up with some kind of acknowledgable sentence, "I-I-"

"Ziva, I'm gonna go explore-" The two males cut themselves off as James stuck his head through the door frame, noting the poor flustered boy and my barely concealed laughing self. He grinned jokingly in my direction,"Ziva, what have you done to this poor boy? Hopefully nothing to inappropriate now, of course. Remember, don't do anything I wouldn't do! I'm gonna go now before you decide to kill me! Bye now!"

And with that one hurried, jumbled up mess of a speech, James fled the room, leaving me to try and sort out the meaning of his words. Apparently me and the boy reached a conclusion at the same time as I cursed in a rather colorful way underneath my breath, the page blushing even harder.

"What that little sonofa-" I stopped my rant as I saw the boy still standing there, eyes cast downwards. Sighing slowly, I clasped my hand on his shoulder, walking out the door as I yelled over my shoulder at his still figure, "Hey! You coming or not?" Immediately his legs zoomed himself up to me, breath huffing and puffing as he heaved. "My lady, pease-"

"No no, now that just won't do," I clucked my tongue at him in mock discipline, "My given name is Zivaso you might as well call me that."

"Miss Ziva-" I ignored the poor boy as he went on, my thoughts rambling on in my head as I continued to myself, 'Looks like we're going ot have to work on that a bit.'

"So what's your name, boy?" I spoke up suddenly, ignoring the boy's shocked etched face, "D-D-Damien MacIllness of Ramblers Grove if it pleases you, Miss Ziva."

Shaking my head at his polite little stiff words, I went on, "Well then Damien MacIllness of Ramblers Grove, where would the fighting courts be? I haven't had a good fight since I left the Islands."

Immediately Damien's face perked up, happy he could be doing something of help instead of just standing there and stumbling like an idiot, "This way, Miss Ziva! I'll show you!"

And that's how it went, going in and through chambers, running into and around working servants till, about fifteen minutes later, we stepped outside, the sun nearly blinding me as I took in the large field, filled to the brim with different ranking warriors. I smiled to myself, Damien unconsciously stepping aside abitat the look on my face as one thought just flitted through my head as I watched the numerous knights around me, ...'This place is gonna be fun!'


	20. Chapter 20

King Jon of Tortall looked up impatiently from the scroll before him. Putting down his glasses, he shot an irritable look at the door as he replied to the knocking at the door, "What is it?"

A soldier peeked his head through the door frame, coming to full attention as he said, "Sire. there has been a fight at the training grounds. Considering one of the offenders is not under our control, I was sent up here to find you, Sire."

Jon sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose as he felt a massive headache approaching, "Was it one of the Yamani foreigners?"

"Yes Sire."

Jon stood up abruptly in his chair, said wooded furniture falling to the floor as Jon cursed the foreigners for making trouble even though they have spent less then an hour in his country. His coat swirled around his person, displaying his angry personaas he made his way out the door, motioning to the soldier, "Let's go."

* * *

The sound of one sided jibs and a crowd of cheers reached the King's ears as they approached the training grounds, but this was not unusual. They had bouts here all the time, why would this one be special even if it's with a Shang.

And then it hit him as he watched them crash back and forth; they were actually trying to kill each other.

Well, one of them at least.

Onward and backwards the swords clanged, one of the knights desperately shooting insults at the calm Yamani masked warriors, a triumphant look over coming his face as he supposedly found an opening.

But anyone with a pair of eyes could see who was going to win this; for as the knight charged his sword forward in a death strike, the Wolf slid around to his unprotected outside, ramming the hilt of her ancient sword on his collar bone, a sickening crunch echoing through the courts, a silent scream erupting from the man's open mouth as the dropped to the floor, knees first, Ziva resting her hand on the other magic cloaked sword at her hip as the opponent hit the ground, his hand dropping from its perch on his own piece of metal at his hip.

Stepping over the unconscious body as the pain from the blow to his neck had caused the man to black out, Ziva let the knight's friends carry the body away, nodding to them in acknowledgement as she was announced the winner; but when she did, her eyes fell upon the kings, standing a few feet away, motioning her on over.

That did not bode well.

Wishing Lupus was there by her side to give her courage, Ziva walked towards said monarch, head held high, shoulders back, spine straight.

"Sir?" she asked in a cool collected voice that would not betray her worry, "What can I do for you?"

Jon looked at Ziva, remembering how they hadn't had a Shang teach the pages in a long time, and with her being busy, hopefully less trouble would arise like this meaningless duel; an extra bonus, of course.

"Starting tomorrow you will teach both the pages and the squires how to fight bare handed. Including any other knight who wants to pop in." Pausing as he turned to take his leave, Jon shifted back around to face Ziva once more as he added, "You will also be teaching my son Roald's son (who is exactly the person she is supposed to marry in case ya'll weren't paying attention) how to fight; but in a private session of course, seeing as how he has a different class going on during your teaching time. I will have a servant give you your schedule later today."

And then he left, leaving a shock-stilled Ziva in his wake as a lone thought drifted through her mind, "... CRAP!"


	21. Chapter 21

The room was silent, the only noise the clink of metal as chain gloves were pulled off fleshy fingers, twenty pairs of eyes trained on the stretching figure before them.

"Alrighty then, boys!"

The female figure jumped up from her split possiton, making a few of the boys wince at the prospect, clapping her dirt covered hands dusting its floor markings and remaining pieces of ground off her palms, motioning them all to form in a line.

James watched from a distance, rubbing Lupus' furry tummy as his eyes glinted in ammusement, Johnny dancing up and down besides him, the one beast, one immortal black goopiness, and one human pairs of eyes watching the training session unfold into aching pieces before them.

"First, before we can start you all with hurting each other with punches and kicks and giving one another broken bones and enough bruises to last a life time, I have to teach you pansies how to fall! As you trip eachother, and I want these trips to be _hard_, you want to fall on your right side, slamming your hand down in effect," Ziva continued, slamming her own self in the ground as an example, getting up without a problem, her hands dusting dirt off her tan trousers, "So listen up you spineless shrimps! You will have bruises after this so do it properly! The more you fall on your right, or left depending which hand you write with, the less spread out they will be. So make sure you pay attention! And that include you, Mr. Slimy Scalped," ignoring the snickers directed at the now glaring bleach blond, greasy haired boy, ice frozen eyes meeting thunder storm Ziva went on in her prep talk as the group spread out to collect the partners she picked for them, "And remember, keep your heads up and teeth clenched, ladies! I will _not_ tollerate any broken bones and/or teeth in my class, do you understand me? You will work through them if any of you make a mistake! Now move it, maggots! I don't have all day!"

Immediately the sound of bodies hitting the floor and groans of the pages around said general-like Shang, possibly because Ziva paired them up with other teens that hated them, but it could be anything, right? Either way, about two hours or something late (Ziva couldn't tell seeing as how she didn't exactly read sun), the dinner bell rang, all the pages clamoring up the hill to get away from the monster. But when they had only just stepped a foot away, two hands landed themselves on a pair of pages' shoulders, "Now where are you all off to?"

A coruse of silence greeted her as Ziva shrugged, continueing, "Anways, I just wanted to say I'll see you same place and time. Work on your falls now, and ice yourselves tonight. We'll be doing all of that and more drills tomorrow." And with that Ziva released their shoulders, throwing back her head and laughing at the seen the pages created; twenty pair of feet racing themselves up towards the showers, tripping and stumbling along the way.

Still cracking up at the odd site, Ziva barely heard James as he walked on by with a calm Lupus and a hyper darklying, "You might want to hurry along also. You still have to shower and dinner starts in ten minutes. That and you have a squire class and a private lesson after this."

A crooked grin, similar to the one Ziva had been wearing moments before, spread mischevously as Ziva's final words reached his ears, "... HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And off she sped, up the hill and towards the women showers, groaning at how late she was going to be.


	22. Chapter 22

Three hours or so later (I thought we'd established this. Ziva doesnt read sun time) said non time readable girl laid on the ground as she gazed drearily at the twenty something squires around her.

"That," she started, "... was pitiful. Honestly, I thought you would've at least been able to thrown a straight punch without managing to break a set of fingers. I mean _really_."

Twenty pairs of regardlessly rude eyes glared daggers at her. "Well, Prince Alan could kick your ass at his," one either extremely brave or extrememly stupid soul spoke up, "He's been training for years."

The other boys scooted away from said back-sassing, asking-for-butt-wooping boy, eyes wide at Ziva's oh so evil looking smirk. "Well, you're lucky the," Ziva said, crooked grin growing as she heard a chorus of relief filled sighs- she was not going to torture them any longer-, "I'm on my way right now to fight him for my next class."

Every set of eyes immediately went to train on the cheerfully smiling Shang, still staring as she got up from her place on the ground, wiping off bits and pieces of blades of grass that clung to her clothing as she clucked her tongue at the speech empaired group, "Staring is rude now, boys. And shut those mouths; you look like you're trying to catch flies."

And with that she was off, down the training field and away to the looming building in front of her, laughing as she felt twenty pairs o f scared-out-of-their-wits eyes following her, 'Oh what a glorious day it is to be a Shang.'


	23. Chapter 23

Ziva let her thoughts roam as she moved her legs up and down, stretching them for the practice that was to come, 'So this Prince is supposed to be good, about the same level as a Shang like myself, not that that is even possible, but it could be close. From what I hear, it sounds as if he favors his front left leg, prefering kicks to punches, though this could be told just to lead me off-"

As the Shang Wolf lost herself in her own calculating thoughts, she failed ot notice the door creaking open as three men and a female came into view, all cautiously watching her moves.

"Are you read to begin, Shang Wolf?"

At the sound of her name, Ziva looked up, an emotionless glare across her features as she stared at the guard before her. With a tilt of her head, she complied, "Of course, but why are you the one asking?"

"I am to fight you first, as a way to… warm you up instead of just doing those trivial stretches."

Realizing their strategy, as it was to calculate her moves and such as she 'stretched', Ziva grinned toothily and replied, "Then of course I shall accept. But It would be rude of me not to offer the Prince the same curtesy. Please, if I am to 'stretch' this way, then he must join me as well, must he not?"

Pausing slightly before nodding his acknowledgement to her, the guard quietly moved to Roald's side, whispering the proclamation in his ear, walking towards the door to grab another guard. In less than two minutes the fight was underway, two guards paired against the Shang Wolf and the Royal Prince, who had apparently come along with the Roald and Shinkokami, Cleon, and the guard, all underneath Ziva's notice as she had been rather 'distracted' at that moment.

Not waisting time in taking in the Prince's appearance, Ziva got straight down to business, eyes narrowing as she surmised the abilities of the opponents facing her.

"You take the right one," she hissed, eyes darting between the two readying men, "The closer he is to you, the better chance an immediate thrust to the stomach will catch him off guard."

Alan said nothing but Ziva felt the movement of his head as he nodded it in confirmation.

"Are you ready?"

All four nodded to Cleon, their eyes still set on the men, and woman, before them.

"Then... BEGIN!"

And with that the fight was on, all immediately drawing their swords out of their scabards, eyes focused on those before them, the guards' mouths open in war cries as they approached the stoic Shang and Prince.

Though usually yelling insults and such at your opponent were common during a duel, these things were not uttered seeing as how the contestants were all in the presence of a lady and the fact one of the opponents was the Prince and heir to the throne, his parents listed in the Golden Book as they were the soon-to-be King and Queen of Tortall and that if they insulted them they just might find themselves under a hang man's noose.

Finally, unpleased with only the clanging of swords in the air, Roald stood up from his seat, the fight immediately ceasing.

"What is this?!" he roared, his voice echoing off the sound concealed room, "Is this a fight or a tea party?! Why aren't you insulting back and forth as is the custom of these fights? If you're worried about being hanged for offending the crown, fear no more. Shinko and I will look over it for the situation just this once. Now do you plan to fight like real men?!" Roald let his voice ring out, eyes at the chance to see what potential both his son and the odd Shang held.

"Yes, Sir!" the men yelled, only Ziva unceremoniously quiet.

"And... BEGIN!"

And the fight was on once more, both sides now yelling out insults, regardless of heritage, only the Shang Wolf silent.

At the end of the match, finished as Ziva caught her opponent's slice downwards with a flick of the wrist, swatting his sword over to the other side of the room as he had foolishly left his insides unguarded, Alan with his own as he had ended behind his opponent's back, sword to his throat, Ziva and Alan stood at attention, eyes focused on the monarchs before them, Ziva and Roald matching, gaze to gaze.

Coal black eyes meeting storm grey, a small twitch in a lip, and it was over. Alan and Ziva left alone with each other, the other deligates having fled out the room with their superiors, a messanger staying behind. "Please, King Roald requests that you two ready yourselves for around four o'clock tomorrow, as that is when your real fight will be hosted in the courts. Have a good sleep now."

"Well then," Ziva muttered lightly to herself under her breath as she stared after the departing messanger, "That was... interesting."

"Indeed."

Jolting slightly at the sound of his voice, Ziva had to push down a blush as she realized he heard her talk to herself.

"Well, ah, I'd better head off then. Preparations for the fight and all, you know," she said hurriedly, tripping slightly in her haste to get out.

As she ran down the hall, leaving a slightly confused Prince in her wake, Ziva felt her hair whip about her, one thought flitting through her rushing mind, '... this not letting anyone know I'm actually the Emporer's daughter and all isn't exactly gonna be as easy as I thought.'


	24. Chapter 24

Ziva sighed blissfully as she raised her body out of her cot, arms stretching above her head as she did, the sun winking at her in its light as it haloed around her.

Thirty minutes later, after a quick shower and an apple stolen from the kitchen, Ziva found herself wandering around to the back of the stables, apple core in hand as she munch around its seeds, all thoughts for the fight that was to be fleeing from her relaxed mind. But slowly her steps ceased as she quietly chomped on her little treat, eyes trained on the long haired figure at the face of her horse's stall, Lupus and Johnny at each side.

* * *

"Hello. What, may I ask, are you doing to Lunarwind?"

At the sound of my threat instilled voice, the coffee haired person turned, a grin placed on her face, her hands on her knees as she pushed herself upwards from her ground position. She stood about five foot five to my own five nine brown soft curls falling in waves down her back, blue-grey eyes twinkling up at my stony features.

"Hello there," she greeted, hand sticking out before her, "I'm Daine Salmalin, Wild Mage. I was told by King Jon to come down and check your horse; for security reasons only, of course."

"Of course," I replied back, suspicion in my eyes, softening some, though still there as I clasped her hand in mine, testing her strength. After a minute or so of that, Daine let her grip go slack as she stepped away, hand motioning towards Lunarwind, "Your horse is a beauty; perfect health and the best cared I've seen since my own. She's got nothing but good things to say about you."

"Good. We've been with each other for quite a few years now since Hoofbeat was killed so I would hope she'd be happy," I respond, my voice monotone, leaning my back against a horse's stall door.

"Yes well... and your wolf here, he's been nothing but complementary, if a few snide comments thrown in. And your darkling, so happy; he must love you and your other animals very much-"

"Let me just get this one things straight before you continue," I interrupt rudely, my grey eyes as cold as winter's clouds as I stare into her own, "Lupus and Johnny are not 'my' animals. They are free to go and leave me whenever they want. I do not own them nor Lunarwind as you own your slaves as you insist on comparing them to, and I never will. And don't you _ever_ compare them to those slaves you buy and sell. They are in the gods' hands, not mine."

My eyes narrow at her still figure, her mouth slightly open a gape before pulling back together tightly in a thinly drawn line.

"... No. Now it's _your_ turn to listen."

Though on the outside I may have shown no emotion from her outburst, on the inside my eyes opened wide as her words spewed venom and fury, "We do not do anything of the kind with slaves down here. We pay for servants and servants alone. They are as free as you say your animals are; to quit our services and find work elsewhere, or stay here. Slaves in Tortall are very much considered illegal here, Miss, and I would recommend you pay attention to that because it will stay that way for a long time and we will continue to follow that law. So don't you _dare_ compare us to those other countries who practice that; we are a free country."

I stay silent as she finished her rant, letting her huff and puff as she tries to gain her breath back.

"I'm sorry."

My eyes widen slightly as I stare at the woman before me, herself gently brushing off stray dirt, raising her lowered shimmering blue-grey eyes to mine, "My outburst was unacceptable, though necessary I deemed it to be. Please excuse my rudeness."

"... No."

Now it's her turn to have her eyes widen, her sea clouded eyes staring at me, "I won't forgive you because there is nothing to forgive as I was the one who insulted you in the first place. Please, accept my own apologies at my horrible manners, guest that I am."

A smile gently spread across the place it had once occupied, pearl teeth shining in the morning light.

"How about we just start over," Daine started back up, handing sticking itself out once again, "My name is Daine Salmalin of Tortall, married to Numair Salmalin, and the current wild mage for Tortall."

My own grin stretched across my features as I clasp my hand in hers, the sun gleaming down on us as it shone from above, "My name is Shang Wolf of the Yamani Islands, currently married to no one, ruling Captain of the Emporer's Warriors, and am so far happy that I came to this odd land.


	25. Chapter 25

The lone twitter of a blue-jay flitted through the courtyards of Tortall's palace, a sound thump could be heard coming from a ring, a solitary figure slashing a sword back and forth, the dummy not standing a chance.

SLING!

Gingerly the blue shimmering sword was laid down at the person's side, her foot lifting up as it caught the runaway straw head as it stared up at her. Smiling slightly Ziva bent down to pick it up, brushing stray dirt off as she fitted it back on its stand, leaving it there to wobble a bit as she sheathed her weapon.

"So yet another dummy falls victim to the almight Shang Wolf and her Ice Blue, eh?"

Swiftly Ziva pivoted on her heel, hand going back to her sword's hilt as she glared at the figure before her, eyes softening though as she realized who it was.

"James!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around her brother's neck in delight, "Where have you been?! I haven't seen you since my class with the pages; and that was yesterday, you fool!"

As his laugh echoed across the field, James removed Ziva's strangling grasp from around his neck, a crooked grin spreading across his features, "Oh, here and there. I had one of the servants show me up to the library, stole an apple from the kitchen, scared the heeby-jeebies outta that Damien page that you're so fond of: overall, just the usual."

Ziva groaned as she heard the last bit, her first connecting with her brother's shoulder as she glared at him, "Must you make that boy's life miserable?! You already embarrassed us with that little pop in of yours in my room!"

"Oh but it's so much fun, Ziva! You shoulda seen the look on your two faces!"

And with a grin James ducked, narrowly missing the swing aimed for his head.

"Now now, sister dear," he chided, wagging a finger at her flushed features, "Is that any way to treat your own flesh and blood?"

SLAP!

James stumbled back, almost tripping over in the dirt ground as he clutching the throbbing back of his head, groaning at the impact from her hand.

"Now now, _brother dear_," Ziva mocked, her hand still in its slapping position, "Is that any way to treat your flesh and blood? I mean, making fun of them? That's just low; even for you, James."

The grin just widened on said brother's features, his look anything but apologetic, "But it's just so much fun!"

And with a laugh Ziva tossed the remaining sword at her hip to her impish brother as she unsheathed her own Ice Blue, an equally crooked smirk on her features as she faced his now guarded self, "Well let's just see how 'fun' it is when you get to face me on the court with Scarlet Flame, eh?"

And that's how it went for the next half hour or so; Ziva and James battling back and forth, sibling insults filling the air, laughs and swears erupting from the odd group.

"Excuse me, are you Lady Ziva?"

Immediately the fight ceased, a once laughing Ziva now turning her now slightly confused and frustrated face to the page messenger, her arm hooked around her brother's neck as she gave the scowling boy a noggie with her free hand, their swords laying on a bench at the end of the court.

"Yeah? What's it to ya?"

Nervously the page pulled at the collar of his uniform, eyes skittish as he stared at the now separating siblings, the Shang stopping in front of him to glare down the boy as she restrapped her swords to her hip, irritated that her fun was stopped, "W-well, the k-king would l-li-like to see you and y-your brother at th-the cour-court near the forest. They said th-that they th-thought the f-fight shou-ould be he-held there in-instead." Sweat rolled down the neck of anxious boy, a hand coming to wipe off another drip on his forehead as he sweltered in the June heat, eyes widening slightly as the Shang glowered down at him, stepping around the quaking boy, making her way towards the motioned direction. "Well? Come on then! I ain't gonna show up missin' a page! The king'll probably think I ate you or something!" And with that the still jumpy boy raced after the wandering Shang, trying to point her in the right direction as she wandered towards the kitchen in the opposite direction, leaving a chuckling James in their wake as Lupus and Johnny sauntered up next to him, neon slits and black blobs eyes twinkling in amusement as James smirked at the receding girl, "They're going to have one hell of a time here at court, aren't they, the unlucky bastards."


	26. Chapter 26

The light twitter and tweet of a bird's melody slowly ceased into non-existence as the scene came into focus down below us.

There stood our favorite girl, a one Ziva Davied, and our favorite kingdom's monarchs, King Roald, Queen Shinkokami, and their son and daughter, Prince Alan and Princess Lilianne.

"How do you fare, sir? Am I to assume that this is where my duel is to be held? What with the 'unfortunate' interruption the other day."

King Roald grinned at the woman across from him, his eyes twinkling in amusement as a June breeze danced around their figures, "Yes, this is where you are to fight. I'm sorry about having you cross over from the other courts, but my daughter wanted to see her brother fight and as we did not all want to move the whole way over there, we thought it easier if we just moved you here."

"Ah, I see," Ziva nodded, her own crooked grin hidden as her head was bowed, "You make me do all the work, eh? I see how this goes; tire me out before we fight. You Tortallans are a tricky bunch, aren't you?"

A laugh rang throughout the fighting courts, the nobles and knights all looking over their way, startled to see their king's head, shaking in laughter.

"Oh yes, we're a force to be reckoned with, aren't we?" Roald mocked, coal eyes glinting in the sun, mouth spread in a full blown grin, "But now you get to see what we can _really_ do. Alan! Are you ready, my son?"

Unhurried, Ziva turned her eyes to the man across the field, another set of charcoal black eyes meeting her storm grey, the man's mouth moving in reply as he stared across at his waiting foreign opponent, "Yes, father. I'm ready."

A few moments later, spent with the two opponents stretching their wary limbs, the court was set in silence, all eyes trained on the duo before them, swords flashing in the sun's light.

"And... Begin!"

At once the sound of swords clashing together rang through out the air. Metal clanging, silence hanging, sweat drops dripping, and two figures dancing together, fearsome weapons held before them as they twisted and turned, they're bodies swinging this way and that to the beat of some unknown song.

Clash!

Hilt to hilt they rested, Ziva on the bottom as she forcefully pushed all her weight into Blue Ice, her storm eyes flashing in something akin to amusement and excitement, her dancing orbs trained on the perspiring figure above her, his coal colored eyes boring into hers, his mouth opened in harsh breathes, eyebrows drawn in a furrow, a small drop of sweat hanging off the tip of his nose.

Plip.

And off they went, back to the dance that only they knew, words not spoken, not needed as the duo let their weapons speak for them, revealing their strength as back and forth they clashed in some unknown emotion. The court around them felt their eyes widen at the sheer calm yet fire brewed aura around the two. Though magic was not allowed in a duel, something odd was working as the couple fought.

Slash!

And with a twirl of her wrist, Ziva pushed past the prince's guard, her arm coming back up till it connected with his neck, the tip of her weapon poised at his jugular. "Do you yield, Prince Roald?" Ziva questioned, a light smirk lingering on her features. "Not yet, Shang." The Wolf felt her eyes grow wider as the heir gently wiggled his left arm that had been pushed away during her move, the point of his sword gently digging into the soft fabric of her tunic. "A tie maybe, then?"

And with that the two separated, each nodding to the other as the squire refereeing the duel called out the score, "A draw! Shang Wolf to Prince Roald's neck, Prince Roald to Shang Wolf's upper ribs."

With the duel's status announced Ziva moved off to the side, calmly accepting congrats with a nod of her head, eyes trained on the fellow across from her, the sword sheathing Prince as his father clapped him on his shoulder, a large grin adorning the King's face.

And as the evening bell rang throughout the practice courts, the Shang Wolf made her way, her soft leather clad feet padding gently on the ground as she left the setting sun and curiosity muttering court in her wake, unknowing of the pair of coal black eyes boring into her back.

And as she neared the edge of the building, Ziva let a smirk over take her features as her waiting brother and impatient immortal friends came into view, a well tanned hand waving behind her in a non-chalant gesture, leaving a slightly irritant princey behind her, his eyes narrowing at her receding figure.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't _that_ ignorant.


	27. Chapter 27

Ziva stared at the slip of paper in her hands, fury growing inside of her, the pit of her stomach rumbling in anger; who were they to tell her what to do? The hell she was going to go to this! It was worse here than at the Yamani Islands for goddess' sake! That small piece of paper, a small stamp of melted wax at the end of its mention revealing it to be from the royal monarchs, said the four words Ziva wish she could've incinerated with her glare:

_To Ziva Nikomo of Davied of the Yamani Islands: You are formally welcomed to attend the Continental Ball. Attendance is mandatory so please find your best dress and enjoy the set up that has been decorated for your enjoyment and the other officials that are to be there. I have permission from the Emperor of the Yamani Islands to ask you of this so please do not ignore. From the Royal King Roald and Queen Shinkokami of Conte._

Ziva+dance+Ball+dress=disaster. Emperor Yakatsuki of all people should know this! It just never works out! Hell, at her own farewell ball she 'accidentally' burned the seat of the prime minister's pants! It was kind of funny though, seeing the fat man jump up and down, fanning his arse as if it was on fire, which technically it was. But there was no way in Tortall, the Yamani Islands, or even the god's ream that she was going to this ball.

* * *

And that's how Ziva of Davied, hater of all things related to skirts and/or dresses, found herself in one of the dreadful devices.

Ziva pulled half heartedly at the Yamani style dress, earning a quick slap on the hand from the tailoring maid. Though Ziva really didn't mind Yamani style dresses, especially as this one was her own from Moonlight in the Dragon Realm, she hated the thought that she was expected to _like_to wearing them. The thought made her honestly want to puke. But sighing, Ziva kept it all in, just sticking with makes faces in the mirror.

SLAM!

Ziva pivoting sharply on her heel at the sound of the noise, hand on the hilt of her sword laying on the dresser next to her, effectively dislodging the maid from the hem of her garment.

"Ziva! I have come to rescue you from the evil torturing tailors of doom!"

Ziva threw her head back and laughed at her idiotic looking brother, his hand in the air as he struck a 'heroic' pose.

"Hello, dear brother. Thank you ever so much for the late coming help, but I fear your advances were made in vain as I am already suited in my clothing," Ziva groaned with a flourish, motioning towards her gown. "Now away with the medival speech," she continued, "Why did you come up here?"

"Oh yes!" James shot up from his chair at the reminder, mouth spreading in a crooked grin, "I was sent up here to escort you down to the dining hall. So... may I take your hand, sister dear?"

Ziva giggled at his use of 'proper' speech, laying her hand on the crook of his elbow as she nodded her consent, "Of course, dearest brother. Lead the way."

* * *

Ziva's foot tapped silently on the tile dance floor in impatience, irritation plain on her face as she stared around the moderately crowded ball room, 'I hate these things.'

Out of the corner of her eyes Ziva scowled at her brother who was currently flirting with the daughter of a duke of some place; he always did fit in with these kind of situations. But her annoyance drifted away as a new scene took place.

The low hum of the large ball room's chatter ceased as the herald announced the coming of the Royal Household, Ziva's and James' eyes straying to the stairwell the monarchs were to come down from.

The first to reveal themselves was the Old King Jon and the Old Queen Thayet, both still in their late thirties, in their prime at least, yet favoring the calm back pace of non-ruling than to the kingdom's hectic one as they let their son take control of the throne, though still there to advise him, their eyes twinkling at all surrounding them, both very much still enjoying their retirement.

The next couple, trailing after the well dressed King and skylit blue dressed Queen, was King Roald and Queen Shinkokami, eyes both shining as they glanced at each other, very much still in love.

And finally, the last of the small Conte tree, Prince Alan and Princess Lilianne, arm in arm as they nodded to the delegates around them.

James silently nudged his sister as the crowd faded back to its chattering, motioning her in Jon's direction, revertnig back to his quiet self, what with all the watching eyes enveloping them, his voice low under the voices of those around them, "King Jon is motioning us towards him."

* * *

"Hello, Mr. and Ms. Davied. Having a pleasant evening I presuem?"

Inwardly cringing at the use of out names in that term, I nodded my head, my foggy eyes rained on the six monarchs before us.

"Of course," the aging man continued, "We expect you to dine with us this evening at our table as our most esteemed guests of honour; it would not put us in favor with the Emporer if we did not treat his closest friends as such. Alan, you will escort Ms. Davied here. Mr. Davied, if you would be so kind as to accompany my granddaughter."

Unemotionally Prince Alan looped my hand under and over his elbow as he directed me towards the head table, James smiling to Princess Lilianne as he followed close behind. The whole thing was rather uncomfortable as Alan spoke not a word to me, apparently caught up in his own far away thoughts.

My own turned slightly envious as I listened to James converse lightly with Lilianne, her bell melodic laugh chiming like bells through out the hall; he always was good with people, the lucky bugger. So I forced a smile upon my features and turned to listen in to the older monarchs' talking, not noticing the disappointed and slightly angered look King Jon sent to Alan, only one thought running through my mind, '... I hate Balls.'


End file.
